As You Wish
by cactipresident
Summary: Sansa knows all about the Labyrinth and the Goblin King. She never stops reading about the King who loved a young maiden, giving her powers beyond her imagination. Giving her the power to change the world with simple words. What Sansa didn't know or even guess was the King was real and she was his lovely young maiden.
1. Forgotten Lines

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great." Sansa's shoulder were thrown back as if she was going to war " You…." The girl began to falter her mind scrambling for the last line she was searching for. She floundered for a second more before with a muttered curse she drew the old book out from a hidden pocket in her dress. Briefly her fingers flew through the book with practiced ease to one of many dogeared pages.

"You have no power over me…" She whispered to no one. With a huff she put the book back. She always had trouble with that line no matter how hard she tried to remember it.

Sansa looked around the Godswood, a park nearby her family home. It was famous for a single weirwood tree that stood in the exact center like an old god watching over their domain. That was where the eldest stark daughter found herself standing under. Her husky Lady lay beneath the canopy of red leaves only mildly interested in what she saw her master do practically everyday. None of this was new. It was the same old same old life Sansa knew and resented.

Why couldn't a Goblin King come whisk her away with promises of greatness and kingdoms as far as the eye could see? With a sigh Sansa threw herself down on the shaded green grass by her dog. Lady moved briefly to get closer then laid back down after the minimal movement.

It would shake things up, sansa mused. To be kidnapped by the King who always loved her for her. To be shown things beyond the vanilla world she was forced to live in. With yet another sigh all too common with the growing teen, she pushed herself up from the slightly wet grass.

She had a home to get to and a boring life to continue.

Lady followed her diligently, not needing a leash or even a word to let her know they were going home. She could just sense the despair on her master.

Sansa ran a hand through the dogs pale brown fur hoping they got there before Arya or even Jon tattled on her to their mother. She really didn't need that on top of everything.

With that very thought the sky opened up releasing a torrent of rain upon the unsuspecting park enjoyers.

Sansa couldn't help the groan slash yelp that emerged from her. Now she'd need to run. Now her mother would know she wasn't home in time.

"Fuck me…" The girl muttered under her breath as she began the short run home.


	2. Babysitting Woes

" SANSA LYANNA STARK"

The teen flinched at the use of her full name being yelled from their house porch. Sansa slowed her run to a brisk walk as she turned her head to the ground. Better to just get this over with.

"And where the hell do you think you've been? We needed you here today!" Sansa tried to resist the urge to huff in annoyance. They always needed her home. They were always trying to make her a perfect lady. The teen heard her mother sigh, " Sansa, I only ask you to babysit once in a blue moon…"

That got a reaction out of her. " Once in a blue moon?!" Sansa began, " All you two ever ask me to do is to watch Rickon well you take everyone else out! Or while you all have so nice plans leaving me out!" She tried to stomp past her mother but Catlyn stood her ground.

"She goes in the garage." Her tone was hard and unwavering as she pointed to the soaked Lady sitting down in the mud.

" She can't go in the garage! She'll be cold!" Sansa whined, even stomping her foot a bit. Her mother didn't move though. She just folded her arms waiting for her daughter to listen to her.

"It's unfair!" Sansa yelled back at the house as she trudged to the garage. Lady followed knowing she was to spend the night in there, at least till she dried. Or till Sansa remembered she was in the garage.

Sansa stomped her way back into the house making sure everyone home was well aware on how she felt. She sent a glare to Arya, who was currently sitting on the steps looking way to smug with herself.

Arya raised her hands in mock defense, " Hey not my fault you don't have a li-ow!" The youngest daughter yelped as a shoe was thrown at her from Sansa's direction. Bran ran out from behind Sansa grabbing his shoe as Arya threw it back at him. Sansa groaned in frustration, why couldn't they ever behave!

Catlyn began walking downstairs from her room, attaching earrings to herself. She looked at her kids with a smile."Bran don't throw things in the house. Arya, sweetie, could you tell Robb and Jon we're leaving now?" Both kids nodded and headed in opposite directions leaving a fuming Sansa and an exhausted Catlyn. With a sigh her mother tried to explain, " Sansa, please we need you to babysit. Bran has to finish that science project with Jojen, you know he stays over there when they get into those crazy projects. Arya has the competition she's been excited for for weeks! Your older brothers,your father and me have the Lannister Ball to go to! And you know you're too young to go." She finished with knowing her daughter was going to interrupt.

" We need you to watch Rickon." She pleaded with her angry teen daughter. She finally took the final step onto the main floor , now level with her daughter. She went to grab her shoulders but Sansa shrugged her off, glaring at the carpet.

"You didn't even ask if i had plans.." The girl muttered under her breath hoping her mom wouldn't hear. Unfortunately her mother had the sharp hearing that came with 6 kids.

" Do you have plans?" When she got no answer beside a huff she continued, " I'd love for you to have plans. A girl your age should have plans! And when you get plans, tell us. We will gladly do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing." Catlyn grabbed her daughter's chin making her face her. " I promise."

" You promise! You always promise!" Sansa yelled throwing her mother off. " You never keep them! No one ever keeps them in this house! I hate it here!" Sansa ran up the stairs screaming at her mother, passing her shocked father and an even more shocked Robb. She turned around when she got to her room. " I hate you!" With a slam of her door, Sansa tried to end the conversation she knew would be continued eventually.

It only took a few minutes for her to hear her father's telltale knock on her door. " Sansa?" He called hoping she didn't pass out in anger on her bed.

"Go away"

A muffled conversation took place behind her door before her father began speaking to her again. "We're leaving now, Sansa. Rickon is already down for bed so you don't need to do much"

Sansa sat up on her bed, glaring at the door, " You didn't even want to talk to me!" She shrieked, throwing a doll her father got her when she was little at the door. With a huff she rolled over in her bed listening to the sound of the rest of her family leaving for the night. All of them doing more important things than her.

All the while she never noticed the mockingbird sitting out her window looking in on the scene that unfolded before it.


	3. Two meetings

Her room wasn't what most expected from a 16 year old. One side of her room were shelves filled to the brim with haphazardly placed books and toys from her childhood she still cherished beyond anything else. Her bed was closest to this side of the room, making it easier for her to go to the early hours of the morning just reading. To the left of that wall was the window that overlooked her backyard which disappeared into a forest she had once loved to explore with Jon. Below the window was her dresser which was now overflowing with her pretend clothes, the ones she used to act out scenes from her books.

One in particular, The Game of Labyrinths. A riveting tale about a Goblin King that fell in love with the daughter of the Queen of Love, he gave her all sorts of powers to woo her. He even gave her the ability to summon him with just the right words. Sansa said the ones from the book over and over but to no avail. She knew it was just made up but she still loved to pretend a far off King fell in love with her only to sweep her off her feet like a knight in shining armour. Her very own song of love.

Next to her dresser was her desk-slash-vanity mirror. All across it lay various makeup products even a crown of copper and iron she bought at the flea market down her street. They twisted together to look like it was made of branches instead of metal. It was one of her favorite things to wear as she pretended her king came to save her.

The desk part of the vanity held her school work she tried to ignore. She was never good with Maths and staring at it for hours on end wasn't going to change that much to her teachers chargin.

The young girls walls were covered in posters of famous singers be they pop or classical. She loved most the songs of true love and how wonderful their lives were. It was a dream she wished she could reach for.

Sansa still lay on her bed facing away from the door in anger. How dare they assume she had nothing better to do in her life? She was the envy of… no one, the girl thought with a sigh. No one wanted anything to do with her not since Joffrey dumped her for her good friend Margarey. It meant she wasn't good enough for him but he still had claim on her making sure everyone knew she was merely leftovers. Leftovers no one was to touch lest they face his wrath.

Sansa rolled over on her bed, opting to face the door again. Right across from her room was her parents where little Rickon lay sleeping like a baby. He really was easy to take care of. She tried to feel resentment towards the young child but found she couldn't. It wasn't his fault he was born. It wasn't his fault they disregarded her constantly.

Her eyes began closing, the wind lulling the girl into a deep sleep. She always found it easier to sleep with her window open. Her parents always warned her about birds or anything else getting into the house but it was her room and she could do whatever she wanted with it.

The heavy drops of rain pitter patting on her roof brought forth an image of a gentle bird watching over her. The mockingbird,she realized, flew above her keeping away giant stags even a lion who tried to sink his claws in her. Sansa knew she could put her trust in the small bird, knew they would never hurt her. She put her arm out expecting the small grey bird to land on her. Instead it flew in front of her and glowed brighter than anything Sansa could ever recall. She swore if this wasn't a dream she'd be blinded by it. As the light began to dim in front of the young girl she could make out a small figure of man. He was taller than her, just barely though sansa was tall for her age. She could see a billowing cloak made of grey feathers moving as if it had a mind of its own. His hand reached out to grasp her own pulling her close to him. He smelt of mint and like berries her and her mother used to grow when she was a child. Sansa could almost make out the man's face, the light surrounding the both of them almost dying out. She wanted to know who her savior was.

Before Sansa could fully make out his face she was ripped from unconsciousness by a screaming child. With an annoyed groan, She pulled herself out of bed ignoring the lingering feelings of her dream. Rickon always had a way of ruining the very best things without realizing it. Or maybe he did. She could never tell but it did fuel her anger towards him when ever she got mad at the baby.

Practically stomping over to her parents room, she flicked on the light with force which only seemed to make the screaming child cry more as if she personally hit him. She winced and held her head as she felt the coming on of a headache. Just her night, she thought grimly.

Her anger soothed a little as she picked up her baby brother, cooing slightly to calm down the child. Placing the baby on her hip she bounced him trying to figure out what made the child scream so much.

"Shhh ricky…" She cooed at her brother still bouncing him when she saw what made the child flip out. On the floor lay her most prized toy from childhood, the one that held so many sentimental memories. Ser Loras was the only toy that made her feel safe as a child. It held her through family fights and growing responsibilities. The toy symbolized her childhood she wasn't getting back.

Said toy was in two on the floor, her baby brother ripping apart the delicate seams of old age. Stuffing spilt from both ends of the toy bear. " Rickon!" Sansa shouted in disapproval, putting the screaming child back in his crib. Sansa knelt before her toy, picking up the pieces gingerly. She had no idea if she'd be able to put the toy back together again.

In anger she threw the pieces back on the floor, the tears threatening to break free. She turned on Rickon glaring at him as he continued wailing.

" You want a story is that it?" She asked the child in a mock show of sweetness. " Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl whose evil family kept her like a slave, taking everything from her." Sansa paced the room, embellishing words with her hands , the child cries adding to the dark story. " The girl kept quiet though, doing what she was told. She tried to be a good girl to get back in their good graces." She paused looking at her brother again. " But one night of too much abuse yelled at her and too much crying from her brother she was forced to watch while they went gallivanting off to the prince's ball she knew what she had to do." Sansa pulled on her copper and iron crown she didn't even realise she grabbed when she left her room. It fit perfectly looking more sinister in the light from the storm raging outside the house. Rickon's cries grew louder still as the air in the room grew heavier and heavier.

" For you see a King fell in life with the girl, begging her to cast free her chains that were held over her. She kept refusing saying they were her family but know she knew they were no family of hers. The King gave her the power of wishes, the power of words! All she had to do was speak the right ones and she'd never be bothered again…" Sansa walked over to her brother picking him up and holding him in the air like one would a sacrifice. The room felt alive with electricity, the air feeling as though it was pressing down on the two from all sides. " Goblin King, Goblin King! Take this awful brother of mine! Free me from my poisonous chains!"

The room felt unnervingly quiet, her brother looking at her his cries finally the air in the room seemed to dissipate, the heavy feeling leaving with it. With a sigh Sansa dropped her arms, holding her brother close to her, swaying slightly hoping the kid would finally go to sleep. His cries grew a little louder before quieting down again, Rickon now snoring in his sister's arms all thoughts of her trying to sacrifice him gone. Sansa sighed, still rocking her brother despite his heavy snoring. For such a small child he made such a loud noise, she mused smiling down at Rickon.

Gently she put her brother down into his crib. He moved slightly almost waking up to Sansa's fear but he just turned over still making his noise. Sansa slowly made her way to the door, lightly flicking the lights off before sighing.

" I wish the Goblin King did come to take you away."

Sansa went to go downstairs to grab food for her brother, thinking he'd be up within seconds for the same reason. She paused realizing something was wrong. Quickly turning around, she noticed it was too quiet.

She couldn't hear her brother snore. She couldn't hear anything. Not even the rain against the house.

Slowly she made her way to her parent's room, hoping her brother would cry or make a noise and she'd be able to play it off as her being paranoid. Instead the room stayed eerily quiet. Sansa tried to turn on the lights but by several flicks it became clear the lights in this room just weren't working.

Fear growing, Sansa moved to her brothers crib. There was still a lump in the middle of the crib, though now it was covered by Rickon's favorite blanket.

"Ricky?" Sansa whispered hoping the baby would coo back at her or make a gurgling sound. Instead the blankets shifted as if whatever was under it was angry. Inching closer, she nervously grabbed an edge of the blanket, "Rickon?" She whispered a final time before moving the blanket.

The blanket flew away revealing… nothing. The bed was empty. Absolutely nothing that could have caused the lump that Sansa knew for a fact was there.

She heard something move behind her causing her to whirl around, her brothers blanket clutched to her chest. The room was just as empty as it was when she walked in only now could she feel thousands of eyes like the items themselves were judging her. Her eyes frantically scanned the room, her back pressed almost painfully against Rickon's crib. The room felt alive with the same heavy, electricity filled air .

THUD.

Sansa jumped away from the crib, eyes wide with fear, staring at the balcony door in her parents room. A mockingbird flew against the window as the winds blasted it towards the house. Sansa stared at the bird almost going to let the animal in the house when she heard laughter behind her. She spun around again, her back to the mockingbird acting as if it wanted to break down the door. Once again she found the room empty but she swore she saw something furry scurrying under her parent's bed. She looked back at the window, the bird still frantically banging against the glass. She moved slightly towards the glass, hoping maybe to get the bird to go away. Unfortunately the closer she got the more she realized the door was buckling under some unknown weight

The doors to the balcony flew open with a torrent of icy cold wind and feathers. Sansa yelped, covering her face with her arm, her brother's blanket helping to shield her eyes. Eventually the cold blast that hit the girl died down to a light breeze. Sansa slowly lowered her arm to see the damage down. A gasp tore through her throat as she looked at what came in with the wind.

" Hello Sansa"


	4. A Snow Maiden

The man in front of Sansa raised one of his eyebrows, his mouth raising into a smirk which didn't reach his eyes. He had dark black hair with grey running through the sides. His face was sharp and angular but youthful all the same, his dark goatee making his face slightly less harsh. Swirling around him was a cloak of feathers the ends moving on their own and bringing a memory to the front of her mind.

He was in her dreams.

" You're him aren't you? You're the Goblin King," She whispered reverently.

He smiled again, his hands coming together in front of him. He looked cool and collected, completely like he hadn't just taken her brother.

" I want him back!" Sansa blurted out thinking how sacred Rickon must be away from anything familiar, " If it's all the same…" She added when the man's expression shifted slightly at her outburst though his smile stayed as if the whole affair amused him.

" What's said is said, sweetling."

" I didn't mean it!" She pleaded ,trying to get him to see she only saw him as a dream.

" Oh you didn't?" He paused regarding the girl in front of him silently. "Words having meaning,Sansa" He took a step forward to go to her before he caught himself.

" Where is he?"

" You know where he is." He answered. He knew how often she read his books, how often she played the poor maiden he fell in love with. She knew how this game would go.

Sansa's eyes grew wide as she understood his meaning. Her brother was at the Goblin City where all babes who are wished away go. It was a city impossible to get to unless you knew the way of the labyrinth that surrounded it. Many died trying to get to where the Goblin King rest. How was she supposed to get to her brother?

"Please." The word came out broken, the weight of reality falling all around the young girl.

The Goblin King was soon in front of her, tilting her head up so she would look at him instead of the floor. " My sweetling, go back to your room. Play with your dress up, read your books." He paused, his grey-green eyes pleading with her to listen to him. " Forget about the baby."

Sansa stared at the Goblin King her eyes watering whenever she thought about Rickon and what she did, " I can't." It came out more like a whisper then a statement.

The king sighed, letting go of her chin. He took a step back his other hand coming out of his feather cloak. " I have a gift for you" He said changing the subject as a gold coin danced between his fingers. The coin flew between each hand never slowing but gliding as if made of water.

" What is it?" Sansa couldn't tear her eyes away from his deft fingers twirling the gold no matter how hard she tried.

" A coin! No more, no less. But," He flipped the coin, grabbing it so one side showed to Sansa. Engraved on it was a wolf's head. " turn it this way it will show you your dreams." Sansa did for a fact see the wolf head transform to a thousand different scenes, each one more beautiful than the last. Sansa ached to reach for it.

" This is no gift for an ordinary girl," The king continued knowing he had her, " who takes care of screaming babies. Do you want it?"

That broke Sansa out of her trance, her eyes flying from the coin to the King's face. He thought that was an acceptance of the gift, " Then forget about the baby." His eyes twinkled as she looked at him.

" I can't." She repeated a bit stronger than before but still barely above a whisper. She didn't understand why he was trying to shower her with gifts to forget about her brother. If he just gave her Rickon she'd gladly go with him wherever he wanted. She just wanted her brother to be safe.

" I appreciate what you're offering but I just want my brother back." She pleaded again. " He must be scared!"

The Goblin King's face grew hard as he listened to her say no to him for a second time." Sansa," He twirled the coin again as he took yet another step back, increasing the distance between them. " Don't defy me." The coin in his hand quickly turned into a snake which he threw at the girl.

Sansa screamed, ripping the snake from her neck. Before it hit the floor it morphed into a scarf then into a small furry creature who wore the scarf as it's only article of clothing. It quickly ran between her legs laughing cruelly. Her eyes shot up to the King who wore that smirk again like he was justified in what he did.

" You're no match for me."

This was a game she realized. A game of willpower. He was testing her. This was just another game of the labyrinth she had read about. She'd need to show him she was stronger then him to get her brother back.

" I just want my brother back." She repeated hoping she wouldn't need to jump through all the hoops required. He just smiled again knowing she realized the game.

" He's there in my castle" The king stepped back, pointing to her parent's balcony which used to lead to the house's backyard. Instead she could see a white land before her, a distant grey castle on the horizon. Tentatively she took a few steps forward passing the Goblin King.

It wasn't just the castle, she could see for miles the labyrinth in front of looked like it never ended, the castle safely in the middle.

" Do you still want to find him?"

Sansa whirled around, her parent's bedroom no longer surrounding her. She stood on the edge of a small snowy hill only a grey wiry tree on the top which he leaned against. He regarded her with his storm eyes as she took a deep breath trying to find courage. She turned to look back at the maze ahead of her, thinking maybe not looking at him would help. Belatedly she realized that even though she was surrounded by snow she wasn't cold.

" Is that the Castle? Beyond the Goblin City?" She of course knew it was from the story she knew by heart. She just wanted confirmation she was standing in the world she thought she was. Instead of answering he walked up right next to her, his tall boots crunching against the fallen snow.

"Turn back ,Sansa." He seemed to be pleading her this time, as if he didn't want her to get hurt. "Turn back before it's too late." His eyes found her's again. They both stood in silence just looing at each other.

" I can't… Why can't you understand I can't."

She caused another sigh to be released from his mouth, " What a pity."

Sansa looked at the wall of the Labyrinth only a short distance from them to the Castle miles away. "It doesn't look too far away" She said mostly for her own benifet.

" It's further than you think" He added, destroying the confidence she laid down. She looked over at him again, glaring while he smiled knowing full well what he was doing.

The king raised his hand, a clock appearing beside him, floating a good four feet off the ground. The clock looked like none Sansa had ever seen, mostly due to the thirteenth hour placed at the top. Slowly as his finger twirled the hour and minute hand moved back to the misplaced thirteen. "You have thirteen hours to get your brother back," He explained, " Or… he becomes one of us. Forever." He seemed to take pride in Sansa's look of fear.

The king raised a hand to her cheek, brushing a strand of red hair out of her face gently. The touch had almost sacred feel to it, like he was going to shatter her if he held her wrong. She looked at him questioning the action.

" If only history was less cruel," He began, " and love could outweigh duty you would have your brother back. But it isn't and love never wins in the end." The king almost drew his hand back before deciding against it.

" What happened to you, the Goblin King, in my story? You gave everything to her" Sansa asked, her need for answers outweighing her fear.

Instead of answering he moved forward slowly, his other hand moving to her other cheek. "Please, call me Petyr."

Before she could question that too, his lips captured hers. Sansa resisted for a moment but for half a heartbeat she yielded, melting into the kiss. But as it was there it was gone. The king looking at her strangely.

" What were you doing?" Sansa couldn't help but ask, the last few seconds rather confusing to her.

"Kissing a snow maiden" He looked at her then back at his castle. With another smile, he seemed to be disappearing in front of her eyes. " Such a pity."

Sansa stood still for several moments after Petyr left, her hand drifting to her lips.


	5. Mouth of the Beast

Sansa soon realized the Labyrinth itself was further from the small then she expected. It took her several minutes through graveyards and broken trees to even reach the edge of the massive beast. The snow had melted into an almost desert like climate.

Looking around she noticed there was no gate to enter. The maze's wall stretched all the way past the horizon on either side. The walls themselves stretched higher than she could ever climb as if to deter her from finding her own way through. Sighing she scanned left and right looking for some indication of where to go.

" Who the fuck are you?"

Sansa spun around, startled by the sudden booming voice. In front of her was a beast of man, he towered over her, making her have to look up to see him. She could have sworn goblins were small. Maybe he was trying to get a family member too.

" I'm…" Sansa cleared her throat having to avert her eyes from the man's face when she saw have of it was practically burned away, " Sansa. I'm Sansa."

The man gave a gruff grunt, pushing past her to the wall. In his hand was a device that looked similar to a aerosol can except for the nob on the back. " Yet another little bird," He murmured as he turned the nob, spraying a thick purple mist onto something flying close to him. " 97" He rumbled, his face cracking into a grin that was gone as soon as it showed. He moved on ignoring Sansa like she wasn't even there.

" Hey!" She called after him, not liking the feeling of being ignored. The man just looked at her, shaking his head before returning to his job. "98" He called.

" What are you doing?" Sansa tentatively took a step towards him trying to figure out what he was spraying.

" Killing fairies"

Sansa actually gasped, running to a small moving lump he left behind. " How could you be so cruel?" She picked up the lump, craddeling the broken fairy in her hands. The small creature whined softly, curling around her finger. The man stopped what he was doing to glare at the girl as she held the creature. Suddenly she pulled back her hands yelping in pain. " She bit me!" She yelled incredulously, dropping the creature back into the dirt.

The man killing the fairies gave a bark of a laugh, turning back to his job. " What else did you think it was going to do, Little bird?"

" It's Sansa! And I thought they did nice things, like granting wishes and such…" She trailed off realizing she sounded a bit silly now.

The man scoffed looking back at Sansa. " Show's what you know." He continued down the wall, looking for small flying beings.

" Ugh, you're horrible!" She yelled, crossing her arms and sitting down on the dirt. The whole last hour finally caught up with her. Her courage seemed to drain from into the ground. It seemed hopeless now that the Goblin King wasn't in front of her to goad her.

" No," Sansa looked up, the man in front of her again, " I'm horrible's brother." He grinned, his rotten crooked teeth peeking out between his thin lips. The man grabbed her, lifting her up off the ground. " I'm the Hound."

His eyes narrowed, looking Sansa up and down. He had a way of observing her that made her feel as if her very soul was on display. " What the hell is a little bird like you doing here?"

" I'm looking for my brother." She replied meekly, trying to look away from his face. " Are you a goblin?"

The hound barked out his horse laughter again, letting go of Sansa. " Do I look like a Goblin, girl?" He mocked. She could feel her face grow red, her gaze going down the the red dirt.

" No, I suppose not."

" No, No I'm not. Listen well little bird. Your brother will be lucky if they turn him into a goblin. They don't know what's been left behind." He turned from her again, picking up his fairy sprayer he must have put down to help her up.

" How do I get in?" She called after him, courage returning again. The hound reminded her she needed to get Rickon. She was his only hope of going home.

" You don't" He called back.

" Do you know where the door is or not?" She now ran to catch up to him, his large legs taking him further then her small thin ones.

" I do." He answered, spraying another fairy."99" He announced to no one.

"Well?"

He turned to look at her again, the one eyebrow not destroyed by whatever fire took half his face raising. " Well what, Little bird?"

" Where is it!" Sansa was now getting frustrated, she was wasting time arguing with the man instead of spending it constructively.

" Where is what?" He was now toying with her and she knew it.

" The door!" She yelled, her foot even stomping with her.

" What door?" His smile was deformed, the burnt skin stretching awkwardly over his cheek.

Sansa groaned,leaning against the wall to the maze she was trying to get into. She had already wasted ten minutes. If her adventure kept at this pace the city was days away.

" The door." She repeated. " The door to the labyrinth. Where is it?" She glared at the Hound, hoping he wasn't going to send her in circles again.

Finally he stopped putting the fairy spray down on the ground. " There you go, Little bird" He looked at her then the part of the wall next to her. Her eyes followed his, the once solid stone wall now housing an ornate door.

She quickly backed away from it, startled that it showed up randomly. Her back hit a solid wall of muscle, the hound stopping her. " You're really going in there aren't you?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the door.

She looked between him and the door, quickly swallowing her fear. " I have to." She meant for it to come out stronger but the words sounded scared even to her.

He gave a gruff grunt nodding towards the door, " Well there's your entrance." He left her standing there at the door now able to get his work done in peace.

Sansa looked the door up and down trying to see if it was merely a trick. When she touched it, it felt like solid wood, the carvings all over it jutting out. It seemed real to her.

She pushed against the solid wood, the door creaking against her resisting her movements. With a rather unladylike grunt she managed to get one side of the door open, plenty of room for the hound let alone Sansa.

Standing in front of the great doors, she could feel a wind blowing through it from the other side. Throwing her shoulders back and taking a deep breath, Sansa marched through the door only to come face to face with another wall. Confused she looked around her, now realizing this part of the maze looked eerily similar to the outside except for the extra wall blocking her in. Looking either way she saw the walls never ending or twisting.

"Now would you go left or right?"

Jumping against the wall, she saw the Hound now standing in the doorway, his massive form blocking out the raising sun of this world. She regarded his question again, looking left and right again, " The both look the same," She relented.

" You're not going to get far," He scoffed

Sansa glared at him again, " Well which way would you go?" she shot back annoyed at the way he was treating her.

" Me? I wouldn't go either way. If you were smart, you'd the same."

" If that's all you're going to say you can leave!"

The man laughed again, " You know what your problem is, Little bird?You take too much for granted" He didn't wait for her to answer instead pointed both ways that made up this part of the labyrinth. " Take this labyrinth, even if you get to the center, King Littlefinger will never let you out again." The way the hound snarled littlefinger made Sansa not doubt one bit his hatred for the Petyr.

Sansa puffed herself up again, trying to come up with some fake courage. For some reason she felt a need to defend the Goblin King. " That's your opinion," she replied haughtily.

" Better than yours," He smiled cruelly. " Don't say I didn't warn you, little bird" With that he turned around, pulling the large door close with ease.

Sansa let her breath out, one she didn't even realize she was holding the second the doors closed with a slam. She tried not to dwell on his parting words so she pushed it to the back of her mind, focusing on the task at hand. She looked between the two paths again the only differences being some trees that had fallen within the walls.

They call it a labyrinth, she thought to herself, but it has no twist or turns. She pushed herself off the wall gathering herself. She needed to move. Standing still would do nothing for Rickon. Maybe… She was just taking it for granted. Her mind supplied the words the hound said barely a minute ago. What if it did turn?

Sansa looked both ways a final time trying to figure which way to go. Eventually she chose to go left past a plant that had eyes instead of flowers. She tried to ignore them as they followed her.

* * *

Petyr looked into the viewing pool in the center of his throne room. He tried to ignore the chaos all around him, his little Goblins cooing and doing tricks for the new child, Each one realized how special this particular child was to the King so they tried to gain the baby's favor. Petyr thought it ridiculous but at least they left him alone for a moment. He played with the coin he almost gave Sansa. It was ridiculous the way she was blindly going through the Labyrinth. She shouldn't have even gotten through the wall, but that stupid brute he kept around after a deal gone sour let her in.

" Should've turned him into a Goblin…" He mused allowed , glancing at the ones surrounding him. With a sigh he got up, walking to one of the many windows lining the massive chamber. He could just barely see the end of his labyrinth. The very walls seemed to be alive to him as he gazed over his kingdom. He could feel every change, every turn, every creature within the walls. Even the ones he wished weren't there.

It was how his castle had stood for so long. His labyrinth was part of him, the two made at the same moment during the beginning of time. He stroked the wall gently, shushing the violent shake he could feel at the intruder in his walls. Despite his feeling for the girl the Labyrinth had yet to feel the same, still reeling from the last time.

Petyr sat on the ledge of the window it was wide enough for him to hang his legs out of, his long doublet swinging behind him. His cloak had been shed when he returned back to his home. It was mostly used for intimidation though he had to admit that wasn't his intention with this one. He wanted her to accept his gift. He wanted her to forget her woes and move on with her life, not put it in danger.

The king took the coin in his hands again, the gold flying across both hands. At the last moment he flicked it out the window and watched it fly. He knew it would land where he needed it, the labyrinth would make sure of that.


	6. Spiders

Twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes she's been running,walking,jogging, even climbing at some points due to overgrowth that wasn't checked on, down the same path. It still had yet to turn. Every time Sansa looked back she honestly couldn't tell how far she went. She knew it was at least a few miles, especially when she ran but there were little markers alerting her of the cost of the last twenty minutes.

Sansa's feet slowed to a stop, her body seeming to decide stopping was probably just as effective as moving forward for all the good it did her. Her body and mind coming to a joint decision, she slumped against one side of the wall, sliding down the rough rock enjoying the sharp painful feeling it gave. It reminded her all this was real. Everything was at stake and she couldn't even figure out a dumb hallway. Sansa groaned, drawing her knees up to place her arms on. She rested her head on her folded up knees hoping that maybe it was all just a vivid hallucination.

" Why hello, My Lady."

Sansa's head shot up, looking around for the voice. She half expected the Hound or the Goblin King. Instead she saw the same empty corridor she'd been running through.

" Down here, Lady Sansa."

The girl head turned to the right towards the source of the noise, her eyes only spying a reasonably large pure black spider. The spider moved closer to her, it's many eyes blinking at her. She knew she should have been afraid, but in all honesty she was too exhausted to be scared. " Did you say hello?" She asked the arachnid

" That I did, My lady. I am Varys." The spider did a mock bow, his two front legs coming up with one bending in front of him, the other going out to the side.

" You're a spider." She noted dimly

" Quite correct I'm afraid." Varys scuttled closer, landing his body on a small ledge that juted out from the stone wall. Sansa felt silly talking to a spider but he was the only one nearby. Maybe he could help her, he did seem very kind for a spider.

" Do you know how to solve this Labyrinth?" She asked, knowing it was a small chance him being a spider and all. She couldn't imagine he'd seen all or even most of the massive maze he lived in.

The spider turned his fanged head up towards her. He seemed almost upset by her question. He regarded her for another second before answering. " There is no solving it, my dear"

Her mouth opened in shock she swore that petyr would've been fair in their game of wills. " Not like that, My lady," He continued when he noticed how shocked she was. " You may be able to get to the center but he will never let you truly leave. You are in the mockingbird's nest, a far more dangerous trap then a spider's web."

Sansa closed her eyes, resting her head against the cool stone behind her. She knew that the Goblin King would make it hard for her to leave, but she still held onto a shred of hope he'd honor his agreement. Maybe she held the King in too high regard. He did take her baby brother on hastily said words. She opened her eyes slowly, viewing the world around her in a different light. " There has to be something," She told the spider, " Twists or turns… something! It just goes on and on." The feeling of despair began to settled deep in her belly, telling her to stay by this friendly spider with his cryptic words for the rest of the thirteen hours.

" It's full of opening, my lady. You just aren't looking." Sansa turned to glare at Varys. She only wanted answers not riddles.

" I'm not a lady" She snapped, " And there aren't any openings! I've been on this same road for twenty minutes!" The spider moved from the ledge, climbing sideways up the wall to be nearer to her face.

" Not yet, my lady. You just aren't looking."

Sansa had no idea what he meant by that. He answered none of her questions and only responded vaguely or not at all. She groaned, standing up and moving away from the annoying creature.

" You are no help! There is nothing there! Nothing anywhere!" Sansa went to knock on the other wall but instead almost fell forward when her hand met nothing. Eyes wide, she looked between the smug looking spider to the wall. " But… but there's a wall there!"

"Nothing's as it seems here, my dear. Take nothing for granted." Varys added gravely.

Sansa moved forward again towards the wall, her hands stretched out in front of her. When her hands hit nothing but air she continued forward revealing a secret passageway, concealed to look like another part of the never ending wall. She nearly laughed in glee at being able to actually move somewhere besides in a front line.

She grinned back at Varys, grateful for his help. He waved one of his 8 legs at her, leaving her with some parting advice. " Turn right ,my lady. Left is a dangerous path on this road" As she thanked him again, his leg lowered sadly. With a sigh, the spider scuttled off to a dark hole. He knew he did what he had to, but it still hurt lying to the poor girl.

* * *

The Goblin King's throne was made of a mismatch of things. It was added upon at everyone of his victories, each added bit symbolizing something. The original throne was made of bones from the men he had to kill to get to his position in life. Feathers were added when he kept out human invaders when his world and theirs used to be one. There were swords, jewels even broken glass all melded together making a terrifying mass that anyone of sense would fear to sit on.

Petyr sat on it like he was made for it.

Baby Rickon was removed from the mass of Goblins when one tried to see if babies were as tasty as the last time they tasted them. Said Goblin had found his way out the highest window after defying his orders. The only thing Petyr asked of the goblins, and you couldn't ask much from them, was them following his simple commands. He had human's taken from the other world to provide the armies. His goblins kept his land alive.

Rickon gurgled softly at the King, grabbing for a silver necklace he wore. The Goblin King laughed, grabbing the child's arm away from it. He picked the baby up, bouncing him on his knee to make him laugh.

" He has my eyes…" the king mused, " I think I'll call him Petyr." The goblins around him laughed, taking a moment from their chaos to watch their king. He glared back at them, silently reminding them the child was his to toy with. As Petyr glared as his subjects he saw something move against the wall. His glare turned into a full blown smile as he threw the child in the air to stand up. One of his higher up goblins caught the baby, cooing at the small thing.

" Varys!" The Goblin King called as more spiders moved to the floor in front of him. Soon thousands of spiders piled on top of each other becoming a writhing mass of different colors. The mass moved and molded till the form a man became recognizable. In seconds the spiders became one man.

" King Petyr," the man spoke, his hands folding into the silk that hung from his wrists. He had an almost serene look on his face but the Goblin King knew of the cunning power before him.

"Please, Varys. I like to believe we are friends. You can just say King." Petyr smirked at the bald man. He pulled his own in front of him, walking past the spider. Varys turned his long fabric swirling around him before he followed his King.

" I did as you asked, your grace." Varys' face pulled into a grimace he was able to hide as the King walked in front of him. " She has begun moving forward but in the wrong direction. Gods know how long that will last."

" Good, good. What of Sandor? The hound?" Petyr almost spat out his name, the human being a small stain on his practices.

" He follows her, though if he doesn't learn how to not grunt with every movement, I don't know for how long." The king stopped at a stone balcony that jutted out of the castle, wrapping around the front end of the keep. Petyr leaned on the stone railing feeling the air blow past him.

" He is of little need if she doesn't learn to like the girl. He is just insurance for the moment and probably will be for Sansa's entire stay." He patted the stone, comforting his kingdom.

" And how long will that be, your grace?"

" As long as I need."

Varys narrowed his eyes subtly, trying to learn the King's plans. Once it was the most obvious thing to him, he was able to interrupt the goblin's movements even. But ever since that red haired girl came a thousand years ago, his motives were as mysterious to him as the human world.

" Don't look so glum, Varys!" Petyr called, waving his friend over to the edge. " Sansa will not win against this kingdom. She thinks she has the will of a wolf. I say it is more of a rodent,"

" Even the rodents wear away the walls, my grace."

" Yes, but not if they are taught to be docile."

Varys nodded understanding what he must do. Silently he stepped back from the sunlight on the balcony into the shadows of the castle. The second he was hidden from accusing rays, thousands of spider moved separately away from each other, everyone going to their proper place.

When Varys left, the Goblin King let the tension he hid in his shoulders be released. She had only been in his presence for thirty minutes yet it already taxed him. He tried to keep his Labyrinth alert of her every movement but the further she moved into the twisting walls the harder it became to distinguish her from the stone. His Labyrinth loved her. She wanted to swallow the girl whole and keep her from his watchful eye. He didn't know whether or not it was good how readily his kingdom accepted her. In truth, no matter the answer it was worrying none the less.

No one had been able to enter his walls without his knowledge for a long time. He refused to have a repeat performance.


	7. Twin Lions

Listening to the spider had been one of her wisest decisions, Sansa decided.

The second she turned right she was greeted by a mass of twisting walls some intersecting others leading nowhere. A proper Labyrinth. Getting lost was the easy part of this section, Sansa thought looking around trying to figure where to go.

" Nothing's as it seems," She mumbled to herself repeating the words of Varys.

Sansa cautiously walked forward wary of all the places things could be hidden. Nothing had yet to attack her but she wasn't trusting the stone walls or Petyr to save her. He told her himself he wished he could help but couldn't. He had a duty or something equally restraining.

The young girl sighed wondering what he duty could be as she continued trying to navigate the endlessly confusing twists and turns. It is what she wanted after all, she reminded herself, careful what you wish for.

She must have been walking for a while. Without a watch to tell the time,Sansa had to rely on guessing based on how it felt. The twists and turns lead nowhere every time, no matter which path she chose. She tried keeping her hand on stone, knowing eventually she'd get out but she swore the walls all around her moved when she wasn't looking. The longer she stayed in the twisting walls the more she felt like something was watching her try to get through it.

With a huff, Sansa gave up on her hand on the wall method opting to just try going whatever way felt right. The problem was nothing felt right. Everything had an oppressive feeling that she should run and get out while she could. Her mind jumped to the minotaur myth and the labyrinth built around him to keep him there. She worried that maybe the Goblin King had something he wanted to be kept in his twisting paths rather than let it out onto the world. The thought scared her more than the Hound and his burnt face.

Belatedly, she realized her feet weren't the only ones sounding throughout the stone walls. The other ones sounded heavy with metal hitting each other due to the movement. Sansa tried to reason it away as maybe just a knight going through the King's labyrinth doing knightly things but her mind jumped to the fairies outside the walls and how cruel they were. If fairies who were supposed to be good injured others what would a knight who's supposed to be protecting people do?

That was when she started running.

Her feet seemed to almost skim over the hard rocks below her, the same kind the walls were made of, as she flew past turns and brown doors that lead nowhere. She continued running even when she hit a spider web, the silver threads tangling in her auburn hair. She continued running even when she couldn't breath any more because she heard the clanking metal again, the heavy footsteps faster and more hurried. Whoever it was was following her.

She only stopped when she hit a dead end, the stone wall towering higher than the others as if sentencing her to death. What little breath she had left was caught in her throat. She'd have to turn around, maybe she could outrun her shadow if she tried to find a new path. She knew it was hopeless, she had run down a long hall, no other turns were on this path for a while. If she was being followed like she thought they'd be on her in seconds.

Sansa steeled herself for what was coming. She took a deep breath before turning around and facing...

...a wall.

Sansa blinked at it for a second confusion erasing all thoughts before she remembered the labyrinth changed and moved constantly. The Labyrinth had saved her. Though now that she had a moment to look around the labyrinth had stuck her in essentially a box. Sansa wiped her hand down her face, wondering how many more hours she had of this.

"12 hours and 23 minutes" A voice sang.

Sansa really shouldn't be surprised with sudden voices where there weren't moments ago or things that could read her mind apparently. None the less, she flinched looking around for the newest creature.

Instead of a killer knight or spiders, Sansa found two birds sitting side by side on the wall that had blocked her path. The two sat on some overgrown vines that tangled along the wall. Both were a shimmering tail feathers, which were long enough to sweep across the ground even though they sat at eye level with Sansa, trailing into a deep red. She couldn't help but stare at the two beautiful creatures in front of her.

"Weren't you ever told not to stare?" The one on the left said in a much more muted tone then the first voice.

Sansa didn't know what to say, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

" Her mother told her, dear Jamie. When she was but a babe." The bird on the right sang knowing the answer.

" She is still a babe, Cersei."Jamie mocked

"Yes,yes. Just a Little Bird."

Sansa's head shot up, looking at the bird that could read minds.

" Oooh! We've angered her!" Cersei sang, flapping her wings in laughter

" What fear do we have for wolves? We are lions." Jamie proclaimed hopping up to a higher part of the vine, leaning down to get a closer look at Sansa. " I don't even think she's a wolf. More of a rat in disguise."

" A rat in furs, pretending she's a wolf!"

Sansa couldn't help but bristle at their comments. She had no idea their true meaning, only knew she was being mocked. " You two are far from lions!"

Cersei gave another sing song laugh, flying gracefully up to her twin. They hopped around each other for a few seconds before separating. The one Sansa swore was called Jamie flew over Sansa's head to the dead end that vexed her only moments ago. He found one of many uneven rocks that stood out against the wall to sit on, still looking as graceful as before.

" We are more lion than you know!" Called Jamie

"Lions with wings!" Cersei called back laughing

"If you two are lions, I'd hate to meet a bird." Sansa mocked back, tired of their laughing.

Cersei stopped her laughing, her brother on the other end still going. The bird's head tilted as if examining Sansa more carefully before. " Careful child." She warned the sing song quality in her voice disappearing to be replaced with an almost angry tone. " We are only the kindest lions you'll find. We will even help you through this Labyrinth."

" For a price."

Sansa jumped as Jamie's voice rang out far too close for her liking. Yet when she looked back, he was still at the other wall laughing. She shivered before looking back at the once singing bird.

" You think we're not lions," the bird reiterated, " Prove to us you're not a rat. We'll prove we're lions." If a beak could curl up into a smile, Sansa swore Cersei would have done so.

How does one go about proving they're not a rodent?

She could just show she's human but these birds thought they were lions. Clearly they didn't get biology. What else could she possibly say? Sansa looked around the small closed area of the Labyrinth hoping to find something. She saw something catch the still rising sun, an idea coming to mind.

" Would a rat be able to give lions a gift?"

Cersei's head tilted again, her wings moving to fix themselves at her side. She glanced over to her brother before looking at Sansa again. "Rats have nothing to give." She stated like it was a known fact.

Sansa felt her chest fill with something akin to hope. Finally something going her way. She reached slowly into her jean pocket, grabbing the first thing her hands touched. Sansa pulled out her hand toying with the small trinket before showing it to Cersei.

A small silver dragonfly.

It had been part of a necklace her half-brother Jon had given her when she was younger. The chain broke in a fight with Arya a year after she got it. She kept the pendent as a lucky charm despite the overwhelming fact it really wasn't. She mostly just liked holding it when her parents fought.

Cersei looked it, gauging whether or not it was worth anything. She hopped from the vine onto Sansa's hand her claws digging into her arm. After looking at it from several directions, the gold bird picked it up with her beak. Sansa felt her push off her arm flying in the air to her brother. Sansa couldn't help but stare at the red dots appearing on her arms at the loss of the bird. Quickly the girl rubbed the drops away, turning to look at the strange pair of birds.

Each one was staring at the girl with interest.

"Seems like we have a wolf after all." Jamie said giving sansa a strange look.

" Wolf in a lion's den." Cersei agreed.

Sansa gave a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping when she realized her gift was accepted by the lion birds. " You said you'd help with the labyrinth"

' We said we'd show you we're lions," Jamie clarified ominously. Sansa took a step back, suddenly aware of the damage birds could cause, her arm evidence from Cersei barely trying.

" Lions, little wolf pup, don't take well to people in their homes."

Sansa's eyes grew wide, her fears being confirmed. She stepped back again, her spine meeting the cool stone of the labyrinth.

" Lions are proud creatures, wolf." Jamie cooed, taking to the skies while his sister sat still on the wall. Sansa's eyes followed the flying one, fearing he'd dive at her.

" Lions are smart." Sansa's head snapped at Cersei, her foot resting against an oddly placed stone. She put weight on the stone causing it to move down with a loud kachunk. The cool stone behind Sansa quickly moved backwards. Sansa, who was leaning on it, began falling with it. The empty air the only thing willing to catch her. Sansa scrambled to grab something as the birds continued their high sing songy laugh. Her hands caught on something but it began falling with her,catching the light and blinding the girl.

When Sansa automatically went to protect her eyes she lost all purchase on the stone, falling into the nothingness below her.

It was a shorter fall then she expected, she told herself. She didn't even have time to scream before she hit the ground which was a lot softer than the stone above. She assumed it was the ground anyway. She hoped at least that gravity stayed the same.

With a groan, Sansa rolled over trying to get to her feet. She felt the end of the soft part of the ground give way to the same cold stone she has come to expect. Wonderful, still in the Labyrinth.

Sansa sat up, trying to scan her surroundings. It was dark with little light showing from the hole she fell through. Looking up it, it seemed sunlight was miles away. Sighing she looked elsewhere, the hole just reminding her of the annoying birds.

The place looked decrepted, well the parts she could make out. Spider webs were everywhere along with dirt and what looked like front of her lay the damn thing that blinded her. Picking it up she noticed it was a small gold coin, similar to the one Petyr tried to give her.

Her fingers roamed the entire thing,scanning the coin where her eyes couldn't. She felt words on the side, but without sight she had no idea what they could say. The coin felt strangely warm in her hands as if it was a living thing. Sansa made a quick decision and shoved the thing in her pocket, replacing her silver dragonfly.

* * *

The pool stirred, the calm waters disturbed by a passing Goblin's clothes. Despite the movement on the surface, Petyr stared at the pictures within. His face was a cold mask of indifference as he refused to look away.

"She shouldn't be this far. She should have given up…"Petyr brought a hand up to his pointed beard, wondering where he miscalculated the girl.

"She's in the Oubliette!" One of his many goblin's called, her sharp pointed face twisted into a mockery of a grin.

The king swatted the thing away, finally looking up from the pool before his throne. " She shouldn't even be in there! Regardless of where!" Petyr's hand rubbed his forehead as he closed his eyes. He needed to stop her. She couldn't get to the Castle. Not again!

No. Not again. She wasn't her. She was Sansa. The Goblin king rested his head against his monstrous throne finally knowing what he had to do.

" Tell the hound where she is." He commanded, the goblins around him scrambling to find the human." She'll lose hope when she's back at the beginning."

Petyr stood up from his throne, placing his hands behind his back and looking at the pool again, watching Sansa put the gold coin in her pocket. " And, Get. Me. Varys."


	8. Hell Holes

No exit, Sansa confirmed for the fifth time, her hands running along the smooth cool rock. Every crack she felt, she pulled,pushed,clawed and even tried digging with a stone for a little while. All to no avail. She was stuck.

With a huff, She threw herself down onto the slightly softer dirt she fell on. It wasn't fair! This wasn't playing a game! This was trapping her to make sure she didn't win. Next time she met the Goblin King, she swore, she'd make sure he'd never think to trick her again.

Thump, thump, thump.

Sansa's head shot up, her eyes wide in fear. She turned her head slightly, trying to discover where the noise came with the sight. The sound was familiar, the loud thumps echoing more than they did it the twists of the labyrinth.

The Knight.

He found her.

Sansa scrambled back, for a third time that day her back hitting stone. With a wall on one side of her, she knew he'd have to come in front of her. She could maybe kick before he was able to do anything but she really wasn't suited for fending of people with weapons.

A hoarse whisper called into the dark, interrupting the still silence. " Little bird?"

All at once the fear that was gripping her tight disappeared, quickly being replaced with joy at hearing something friendly.

"Hound!"

She heard the quiet thumps come over to her, the giant human clambering into what little light made up her hole. The man appeared annoyed, his scarred skin pulled tight into a grimace. By his side was a sword she knew wasn't there when they met at the front. He also seemed to be wearing mismatched pieces of armour, dents and even cracks littering each piece.

Sansa had never been so happy to see another human being in all her life.

With little warning, she launched herself up off the floor, startling the Hound. Before he could even say a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a hug.

" Thank you," She whispered into his ear, a smile on her face. He was still frozen underneath her, his hands hovering over her, unsure what to do. When he finally decided on patting her pack gently, Sansa let go, her feet fully on the floor once again.

The hound seemed confused at what happened. Instead of bringing it up, he coughed before turning away from the girl, his sword clacking against his armour. " Yes, well I knew you'd fucking get stuck, your head up in some songs arse." He milled around on the other side of the small hole in the ground before the chamber was finally filled with a bright light. The hound put down the candle then shifting his gaze to Sansa.

She looked annoyed, her lips pulled thin in displeasure at him mocking her. Honestly she had enough with the birds. " Well why do you even care, You yourself said it was my fault if shit happened to me." She crossed her arms in front of her, her hip cocked to the side waiting for his answer.

The hound groaned, pulling a large callus ridden hand down his face. " Because I do, A little thing like you trapped in some shit hole. Not right to just leave you."

Sansa barely accepted his answer, before truly looking at him in the light, another question bubbling forth." What's with the armour?"

He didn't even look down, his hand gripping the handle of his sword as if he wanted to stab her. "If you think I'd enter this Hell hole without protection, you're more stupid than I gave you credit for." He growled out, moving closer to Sansa before kneeling in front of a pile of leaves.

Brushing it all aside, the Hound pulled up a wooden plank. With barely a grunt he showed it against a wall with loud bang. Sansa moved away from her own wall, trying to figure out what the man was doing.

" I know a shortcut through here, How I found you, it will take you back out of the Labyrinth," He explained, looking back on Sansa to see if she was going to stay or leave with him. " It'll get you home,girl."

"I don't want to go home."

He stopped,fully turning around on the small girl. She shrunk onto herself as his piercing gaze stared right through her. "You want to stay here?" He asked incredulously.

"No! Gods no!" She quickly got out thinking maybe he'd leave her in this hole. " I just need to get Rickon. I can't leave him here. I can't let them keep him. He's terrified and he needs me." The hound continued to stare at her, his gaze softening and something sansa couldn't understand sparked behind his eyes.

" Come, girl. I'll help you get your damned brother back."

Sansa smiled again at him as he turned back to his wood plank on the wall. With a deep grumble the hound searched his clothes before pulling out a small glass knob. Placing it on the left he yanked on it, revealing a door where there once was just a plank and a wall. Sansa took a step forward, seeing a long hall past the new doorway. The two looked at each other, each with their own smiles and each with their own meanings.

Sansa stepped through first, The hound following through but having to stoop incredibly low just to fit. He turned around grabbing the glass knob and hiding it somewhere on his body. The plank on this side of the doorway fell to the floor with a loud bang making Sansa jump into the air. She could hear the man laugh behind her, thanking gods he was so he wouldn't see her blush. She was tired of people seeing her blush.

The hound pushed in front of her, leading her through dark caverns and tunnels, each one seeming to hold it's own dark secrets and creatures. Sansa tried to stay close to the man who for all she knew was leading her to her death.

* * *

" Your Grace?"

Petyr looked up as the spider drew himself from the shadows he loved. The King moved from the window,gliding across the stone till he stood in front of the creature.

" Varys," The king began clutching his hands in front of him. " I seem to have lost the girl. What have you been able to come up with of our little guest?"

Varys regarded Petyr with suspicion before sequestered his knowledge to his King. " The spiders in the east say the girl has met the Lions. They tried to kill her as they do so many others," The spider relayed. " Thank small favors she avoided the Dragons. You wouldn't have a girl to beat."

Petyr smirked, walking towards his viewing pool with Varys in tow, curious as to where this was leading. Despite his serious misgiving about the whole situation he continued. " She managed to destroy one of my webs running from your hound. Seems she thought him a more ferocious beast then he is."

"Good," Petyr purred, a true smile gracing his face for a moment, " She will have to be suspicious of everything if she wants to get through my labyrinth" Petyr looked serenely into the distance, perhaps remembering some past time he watched her grow, before his attention turned back to the spider.

" She also seems to have found her way down a dark hole. Though ,I'm sure with your assistance, Sandor leads her out of it like a good trained dog." Varys looked around the throne room, spying a few goblins who tried to hide from him. They were a suspicious folk who saw him more of a demon than a helper. Better for him, he supposed.

"Anything else?"

" Not that I am aware of, Your Grace."

The king gazed at Varys, his eyes lingering too long as if trying to figure out something. WIth a well known smirk blooming across his face, Varys wondered what he would have to fix or beg for from his gracious King.

"Varys, Look down what do you see?"

The bald man leaned forward, looking into the deep pool in the middle of the throne room. " I see a pit, your grace."

The king smirked yet again, " You see a viewing pool, my friend." Varys suddenly understood where the conversation was heading but let no acknowledgement show on his carefully crafted face, the spiders making him up each twitching in fear. " I use it to try and see what you see. Though I can't be a thousand places at once."

" Why, your grace, that sounds like a compliment"

"It's the truth." Petyr moved around his viewing pool putting it between him and the spider. " You are most spectacular at being in the tiny cracks and dirty cesspools of my kingdom a thousand times over. I am most spectacular at weeding through your half-truths and lies." He glared at the spider cooly. " My dear friend, I believe you're trying to play me a fool"

"I haven't the foggiest what you mean, your grace."

" Of course you don't" Drawled the king. " I bet you don't know what happened to the coin I gave you as well." Varys just stood silent, waiting for his King to continue knowing it wasn't going to be good for him. " When I give you something, Varys, I expect you to hold it with your life. Yet I seem to see my guest," Petyr waved down at the viewing pool an image of Sansa with his gold coin twirling in her palm before being placed into her pocket, " has gotten her hands on something rather important. Something I remember rather clearly giving you."

Varys saw the goblins moving closer, spears and swords in hands, a few humans making up the guards as well. The spiders within him fought to break free of their form, but Varys looked as cool and composed as when he entered the throne room.

" Why?"

Varys' eyes met Petyr's green-grey ones. His eyes betrayed nothing his mask gave. A perfect disguise, Varys mused. " For the good of our Realm."

The king laughed, the goblins stopping their slow ascent towards the spider. " The realm!" He mocked, his laughter still ringing through the stone halls. " I am the realm, Varys! Nothing here exists without me. I made this pitiful land, raised it from the hellfire pit it used to be!"

" You killed your way to the top."

" Like every other hero my people sing about." Petyr stepped back, throwing himself back onto his monstrous throne, lounging like he couldn't have a care in the world. Varys was but a small spider for him to step on. " I am this realm, Varys. I'm disappointed in you. I thought we were friends."

With that the guards lunged at Varys, each weapon meant to strike and kill. Varys smiled, finally letting go of his form. Before the weapons could hit the man he exploded into thousands of spiders. Needless to say the goblins and humans alike stepped back in fear as their King watched in amusement.

Within seconds where there had been a man there was nothing but empty air and useless weapons.

The king sighed, " He always was one for dramatics."


	9. Lies

"Hound-"

"Sandor." The giant man interrupted, not even bothering to turn around.

"What?" Sansa walked a little faster to try to walk beside him, three of her steps equalling to his one. She tried to get a look at his face but it was the same impassive stone it was in the room.

" It's my name. Sandor. The hound is what people I want to kill call me."

Sansa tried not to think of the implications of that as much as she wanted to. Now wouldn't be a good time to wonder why he would want to kill her in the first place. " Sandor.." She said, testing the name on her tongue. It sounded better, more human.

" Don't wear it out,girl. Few people call me that." Sansa couldn't help the small smile escaping. Despite thinking he may be leading her to her death she gained his trust… somehow.

" Well, Sandor. Where are we going?"

The hound just pointed up, his mismatched armour clashing together at the movement. For a few more minutes they walked in comfortable silence. That was till Sandor's hand pounded against the stone wall, jumping Sansa out of her wandering mind.

"What the hell!?" She yelled, staring at the man in confusion and fear.

Sandor had the grace to actually look embarrassed, wiping his hand on some of his cloth clothes. " Bloody fucking spiders" He mummered in way of explanation. He looked at Sansa again before continuing his walking as if he hadn't just punched a wall to kill a spider.

She just stared after him, not moving an inch. Suddenly her trusting this man she had only just met seemed like one of her less than smart ideas. She took a step back, her foot hitting a small pebble causing it to sound loudly through the cavern. Her hand instantly went to the coin she found earlier, the warmth giving her strength and courage.

Sandor lived in the Labyrinth for some reason, he thrived obviously. He was able to survive as a human. If the maze itself wasn't stable want did that say about the beings in it? Sansa sighed, running a hand through her ambur hair. She honestly had no other options and one option is better than none. She hoped anyway.

She looked at the wall where the hound had punched it, her chest tightening at the thought. A spider, he said. Sansa looked after the receding form of her savior, hoping he hadn't killed her first friend in the labyrinth. Though Varys was far away, she had no way of knowing how far but knew it must be miles away from the crack in the wall she found him by.

Running after the man, Sansa decided she was hoping too much. She needed to do. Not wish upon some distant star that will do nothing for her.

" Next time don't cry over a little spider." Sandor huffed out, his rough voice sounding like sandpaper against Sansa's own soft voice.

" I wasn't crying," She tried to justify when she finally caught up to the hound. Could she tell him she doubted his intentions? Would he continue leading her forward. " I just don't understand why you killed him, is all."

The hound stopped, causing Sansa to bump into his massive back. He whirled around on the girl, a dark look in his eyes. She tried to back away but he grabbed her arms to keep her close seeming to know what she was going to run. " Spiders are dangerous creatures, little bird. A single spider is your worst nightmare down here, you understand me?" He demanded, almost shaking Sansa. When she kept her silence, fearful of the man in front of her, he shook her again. " Understand!?"

Sansa managed to nod her head shakily, his mood swings throwing her off completely. He seemed satisfied with her answer, letting her go before turning around again. His wide steps echo'd through out the stone hall, each one almost making her jump. She was reminded of the heavy footsteps that scared her from above, the fear she felt then making a return appearance. Why was he so cruel to her? Why was he _lying_ to her? She knew for a fact that here spiders were helpful. Without Varys she would still be on the long path with no hope.

"He is right, my lady"

Sansa jumped, turning around as a dark shadow moved revealing a small ,round, bald man covered in long silk which trailed across the floor. She stared at him in fear and wonder before his voice hit a chord with her.

" Varys!" She gasped louder then she wanted causing Sandor to turn around. She heard no more movement from him, he must still be standing where he was. But why?

" H-how? You were a spider!"

The man smiled sadly, his eyes glancing over her shoulder to her protector. " Still am, My lady. Just many spiders." He lifted one of his hands from the silk. It seemed like flesh, till suddenly it was a bunch of spiders running from where the hand was into the silks. " A specialty of mine" He answered her unasked question.

"Sansa." Sandor called, fear twinging his voice.

The girl ignored him, still gaping at her first friend. "So you're all those spiders?"

" Most astute, my lady. Yes and no. A question I will answer at another time. For now, we need to get you someplace safe." He moved to grab her arm before she was roughly thrown back back a more calloused hand. The hound stood in front of her, his hand on his sword ready to draw it.

" Stay away from her, spider" He spit out, anger coloring his face. The scars contorted into a more fearsome look than usual. Varys just looked at him with little interest. Instead he sighed, as if Sandor was little more than a small nuisance.

" Sandor, please. I come meaning no harm. I want her safety as much, if not more than you." He explained as if talking to a child. That only seemed to anger the burnt man, who showed some of the steel of his weapon.

" Petyr doesn't want her safety," He growled.

" Good thing the king isn't here, now isn't it?" Varys sighed, turning his eyes onto Sansa who stood frozen behind Sandor. " Lady Sansa, we really must be going. You need to hide from him before he sees you."

" She isn't going anywhere with you!"Z

"Sandor, please. Hiding her is the best option. The labyrinth will protect her from him"

"Getting her to the beginning will protect her!

Sansa just looked between the two, none of the conversation making any she thought she could trust throwing all of it to wind. Foolish little girl, caring about people. Varys worked for Petyr and Sandor was taking her to the beginning. She wanted neither. She wanted Rickon. So sansa did the only thing she could think of. She ran.

Just like when she running from a fearful knight, her feet glided over the cold stone, the shouts of both dog and spider far behind her as she turned and twisted with the tunnels below the earth. Before long she couldn't hear anything but her own labored breaths and beating heart but she still didn't stop. She needed to get away from both of them, no matter how far. Eventually she couldn't run any longer, her tired form falling limply against one of the stone walls for support.

Slowly she slid down it till she sat on the ground, The cold stone biting wherever it touched. She didn't care, it was welcomed actually. It reminded her this was all real. Every second of it. From her cursing her own brother to this land to the man who very well could kill her at any seconds despite his veiled assurance he wouldn't.

Sansa's head fell into the crook of her elbow, the tears of the last few hours finally being released. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't take this world.

She felt a hand gently rub her hair, soft words meant to calm her being whispered all around her. She leaned into the embrace knowing it wouldn't hurt her somehow. It felt like home It was made for her. It enveloped her telling her everything was going to be alright. She wanted to believe it more than anything. Against her wishes her eyes began closing, sleep taking over her mind.

" You will rule over me" The words whispered to her, the gentle caress continuing. " You will rule like no other. You will win, my dear Sansa."

* * *

He actually lost her this time.

Glass shattered against the wall, goblins jumping out of the way of his wrath while the baby screamed from his throne.

"How could you!" He screamed at the room itself, the walls seeming to mock him. " I took care of you! I saved you from them! From the humans who would rather use you than give two shits about the life within!"

The walls remained silent, the only sound being the frightened baby.

Petyr fell to the floor, his cape swirling around him. He messed up. He thought she would care more about who she chose since the last time. He thought she would stay with him forever, helping him rule over the lands within her. He was a fool for overestimating her love for him.

The king looked up again, begging his castle to answer him. She gave no hints or words, just silence. It felt cold. How had he never noticed how cold it was?

Silently his form began to disappear to where he last remembered feeling her. Before his head disappeared into nothingness he looked over his throne room as if seeing it for the first time. Why did it feel so empty?

* * *

"Sansa!"

She woke with a start, not even realizing she dozed off. The cold stone returned with a start, the edges of a dream clinging to her mind before being swept away by consciousness.

"Petyr?"

Her vision cleared as slept left, both her friends faces appearing in her vision, both equally worried. They seemed to reconcile whatever feud they had in favor of her. She would have been happy if they both didn't scare her so much.

" My lady, are you alright?" Varys questioned, his face seeming to move as the spiders below moved with anxiety.

The hound helped her stand, being incredibly gentle for a man his size. The both stared at her in silence waiting for her answer.

" I… I don't know.."

"Don't ever run off like that again! We'll be the least of your fears if you do!" Sandor scolded, fear once again tainting his tone.

Varys just studied her, seeming to try to find some issue or another. " Leave her alone, Sandor. She was terrified. By both of us, no thanks to you." The spider's eyes turned from the girl to the man, his gaze holding some amusement that made Sandor bristle.

" What are you?"

The two looked at Sansa in confusion, neither knowing who the question was directed towards. It was her turn to look expectantly at them. Varys seemed to realize first that it was meant for both of them.

" I am a spider, My lady, as you so aptly discovered yourself. I was, was being the keyword here, my lady, under the employment of King Petyr. He used me to spy. Seems he has no use of spies anymore as he tried to kill me." Varys shrugged as if someone wanting him dead was old news to him. Sansa had a feeling it was.

She looked over at the hound, waiting for his answer. He seemed more reluctant to answer. His hand closed and opened over the handle of his sword as if he was seriously wondering if he could kill a question. " I'm a wished child." He finally answered, all emotions gone from his words. " Back when anyone could wish, my brother wished me away. Apparently I didn't burn as nicely as he wished." Varys only nodded at Sandor's answer but Sansa could help gasp in shock. How plainly he spoke about it as if i happened to another worried her. It was almost like he was reading it from a book to distance himself.

Sansa looked between the two creatures in front of her. One who loved the labyrinth and thrived on it and one who hated and wished to kill everything in it. She honestly couldn't find to different companions.

" Here's what's going to happen." She spoke, reeling in both men from their personal thoughts. "I'm going to save Rickon." She put up a hand, quieting both men's protests. " I am saving Rickon. NOT going back to the beginning and NOT hiding so the Labyrinth can hide me whatever that means." Both of her friends seemed to war mentally over her decision, but she left no room to argue. " Neither of you have to help. I'll do it myself. Like I'm supposed to." She said it with more confidence than she actually felt.

The spider and hound both said nothing but Sansa could feel them agreeing. They would follow her, each for their own reasons. Sansa honestly didn't want to know them. As long as she got her brother back they could use her.

* * *

" She isn't your brother, Sandor. She means it when she says she wants her baby brother back."

The hound stood silent, far behind his little bird who was talking to Varys, at least the human form version. A small spider scuttled against the wall next to him, refusing to leave him alone.

" She will bring him down."

" You thought the last girl could too." With that Sandor crushed the small spider, seeing the human looking Varys shiver at the loss of feeling that particular life.


	10. Fields of Fire

There were flames,that much she was sure of, though as they swam around her she felt no heat or pain. The red swirled around her feet scorching the very land but leaving her unharmed. Looking around she saw men regaled in armour clashing against monsters of all size. She watched as a minotaur took out three men before a spear ripped through it's neck. The blood splattered across the field, everywhere it touched burning away as if touched by acid. The creature died slowly, thrashing and hitting randomly, just trying to get as many as it could before collapsing on the ground.

Sansa wanted to scream, her mouth moved but no sound came out. Her hands gripped her arms, she was her only anchor here. Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she saw chaos before her. Men and Monster fought with such vigor Sansa had to wonder what was worth such bloodshed.

" Do not let them retreat!" A familiar voice called from behind the frightened teen. Spinning around she saw a giant lion with great gold wings sprouting from his back. His roar seemed to move the entire battlefield, Monsters fought harder as Men seemed to lose all confidence. Sansa's eyes grew wide as she watched Jamie jump over her landing amongst scattered men, their spears and swords doing little to his golden pelt.

The carnage that followed was merely a massacre. Jamie seemed to just move and take out ten men alone. He tried to protect some Monsters who were not as impervious as he was, some he saved some fell like the minotaur.

Before long the golden lion stood above the still warm bodies of men, his gold pelt looking more crimson due to men's shed blood. Monsters had won against the men.

The lion looked around the bloody field, his eyes conveying the sadness he couldn't speak of. His eyes locked on an advancing form calming making it's way through the carnage with little care.

"Littlefinger," Growled the lion, his wings spreading out in anger.

King petyr, or maybe just Petyr, smiled at the lion, looking at the men he killed. " I see you've been having fun, Jamie."

"Leave and I won't hurt you."

Petyr's eyes flashed dangerously, the smile never leaving his face. " You couldn't even if you tried. Your sister is fine, I promise you. No harm came to her." He gazed past the lion to some hurt monsters, " The same could not be said for our kin."

The lion growled angrily, raising up on his hackles. " Do not. . Kin! You have lost all right to that!"

His laugh was sharp and cruel as if this was all a joke to him. " You use a few high powered pieces to get what you deserve and suddenly you're a bad guy."

" She will leave you, Petyr. She does for everyone. She left the humans. She will leave you."

" That's where you're wrong, fierce lion. She was made for me and I her. She would never leave me." His smile turned crueler. " Now I believe I owed you a gift! Your sister."

With a wave of his hand, a small feather appeared in Petyr's hand. With a flick of his wrist it grew to a golden bird with a red tail dragging across the bloody earth.

Sansa heard the lion gasp, his ears slopping down in fear and and agony " Cersei , no…"

" No more lions, Jamie."

With snap of his fingers the fierce lion rose in the air, his body contouring to awkward angles. His screams tore through Sansa. She tried to cover her ears and close her eyes but even still the proud lions screams were barely muffled, the image of his body being twisted just behind her eyelids. The tear tracks on her cheeks were given fresh travellers.

After what felt like an eternity, the screams stopped only heavy pained breathing left.

"w-why? I got you your labyrinth."

"She was always mine, lion. I just needed to use the right people. I thank you for that. "

Sansa's eyes opened wide again, but she was no longer in a bloody battle field with the man who stole her brother. Instead Varys and Sandor were arguing about the best way to get to the Castle. Sandor said he knew the quickest, while Varys argued uselessly to the giant human the secrecy was key and he knew the best secret passages even big enough for his hulking mass. Neither was aware that their ward had left. She wasn't even sure she left.

" Guys.." Sansa's voice sounded hoarse as if she had been screaming for hours. Both seemed to notice, Varys gliding over and Sandor staying behind him watching the spider warily.

" What's wrong, my dear?" He asked his soft voice floating to her ears, a welcome change from screams and clashing metals. Sansa was honestly unsure what to tell him. She wasn't entirely sure what happened herself.

"I think… how did Petyr get to be Goblin King?"

Varys stiffened, looking back at Sandor before looking back at the teen. " What did you see?" The hound seemed to understand what happened as well for he was at her side in an instant, rough warm hands pulling her close. She was sure he was trying to be comforting and give her a hug. She accepted and felt relatively safe for a moment.

" I saw fire. There was so much of it. It nearly blocked out the blood everywhere. I saw the lion fighting against humans and winning. I… I saw Petyr. I saw him torture and trick Jamie and his sister." Sansa shivered remembering the screams that came from the lion.

Varys was silent for a moment, his face clearly showing the news troubled him. " You saw the past, my lady. Seems the labyrinth wanted to show you how he won." With a breathy sigh, the spider pushed past them both. " We must take the stealthy route now. We can't go in open air now."

Sandor seemed about to argue but Sansa got to it first, " What does it mean, Varys?" She demanded. The spider looked up at the hound seeming to plead for help before relenting.

" The labyrinth is showing how she was won last time. She wants you to win, Lady Sansa. She wants you to rule over her as the Goblin Queen."

" It'd be much easier if you just married me."

All three jumped, Varys almost exploding while Sandor unsheathed his blade, pointing it to the Goblin King who leaned against the wall as if he was merely talking with friends. Sansa stayed silent, the lion coming to her mind.

"Your majesty, what a pleasant surprise." Varys drawled, his shifting body finally under control.

" For once I think you're telling the truth, Varys. What a momentous occasion." Petyr shot back to Varys, though his eyes never left Sansa. She felt naked under his gaze, as if he knew every secret she ever had.

He sent her a kind smile, so unlike the one she remembered vividly mocking the lion. " How are you liking my Labyrinth, Sweetling?" He asked, seeming to genuinely care.

"It's a piece of cake" She replied to the groan of the spider. She looked back at her friend, his hand rubbing his bald head. Her face turned back to Petyr, his smile still there but his eyes hard.

"Oh?" He asked, " How about upping the stakes then?" The thirteen hour clock appeared next to the King, the hands slowly moving forward several hours. Sansa watched opened mouth as five of her hours disappeared before her very eyes.

Seven hours. She had seven hours to get to the center and save her brother. She tried to stop the tears as she lost some hope. " That's not fair!"

" You say that a lot, my sweetling." He chuckled, before glaring at her wardens and friends. " You two. Being sent through the moon door will be the least of your problems." Sansa felt Sandor stiffen in front of her and Varys' body twitch. Whatever the moon door was, it was incredibly terrifying.

Before Sansa could ask what it was, She was in front of the King, seemingly teleported from between her friends. Sandor yelled some obscenities while Varys stayed silent yet calculating.

"Sansa," He whispered her name, his hand caressing her cheek. She was reminded of something earlier that day but when she tried to remember it it slipped through her fingers like water. " I have worked so hard to make this world perfect for you. I will be whatever you beg of me. Tell me what was so easy about my labyrinth?"

Sansa stared into his gray-green depths, feeling compelled to tell him." It protected me." She answered. He flinched for a moment, but carefully hid it. If she hadn't been closely studying his face for subtle changes she would have missed it. He didn't like that the labyrinth helped instead of hindered her.

" Well," He purred, " I think that deserves another kiss." He pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her. The more she struggled against him, the tighter his grip became. He captured her lips again. The taste of mint was there like last time, mogling with a sweeter taste Sansa didn't want to dwell on. She felt his tongue lick her lips but she kept them closed, Jamie flashing through her head at the mere sight of Petyr. But the image was disappearing, being replaced by the man holding her close. He was warm. And safe. She leaned into the kiss now, the King smiling against her in response.

She pushed apart and he let her go instantly. She pushed harder, propelling herself off him and into Sandor, her back hitting his wall of muscle. His one free hand lightly covered Sansa's chest, the other brandishing the sword in front of him.

The Goblin King just chuckled, wiping his lips with his hand. " Till we meet again." With a small smirk towards the teen he stepped into the shadows of the tunnel. All three knew the man had left the second his body hit darkness.

"Fuck the King" The hound grunted. Sansa had to hold her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

" How eloquent." Varys sighed. The man seemed more unnerved by the goblin King's visit then either of the other two. Sansa gently put her hand on his silked covered shoulder, giving him a small, sad, smile.

" Sandor… I think we need the fast way."

The hound only grunted his acknowledgement, trudging forward with spider and teen in tow.

* * *

One goblin, Petyr thought rubbing his temples as he tried to keep a smile on his face, just one goblin who can actually be of use to him. And it was her.

Lysa threw some sweets, or what passed as sweets in the goblin city, in front of the King her large eyes batting the entire time. Gods what he wouldn't give to have Arryn still alive. But no the stupid goblin had to get himself killed. Old fool, Petyr grumbled.

" Oh King petyr," Lysa flirted, giggling at him, " What did you want to ask me?" Petyr tried to ignore the bile that rose at her overly high pitched voice. She purposely made it that high thinking he liked it that way. On humans, yes. Goblins? Bogs no.

" I wanted to ask you, My dear lysa, for a favor."

The way the Goblin's eyes lit up you would have thought the king gave her a castle. " Oh anything, Petyr!" She cooed, her small gnaut hands, grasping his to her chest.

" There are two… nuisances I need help with. I could do it myself, but I wanted to be able to test your loyalties. If you do this for me Lysa, I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."

He needed continue, the second he spoke he knew he had her. She would do anything for him, so long as he didn't mention any human females around her. She was the perfect pawn, petyr mused.

" I will do it , your grace!" She accepted, kissing his hands.

With thinly veiled disgust, he removed his hands from her grasp under the guise of pulling out a paper from his cloak. " Here, my love, You'll know what to do." The scroll passed from his soft hands to her clawed ones. The King got up to leave before realizing he forgot something.

" Oh, Lysa. There will be a girl with the problems.., Give her this if you find her past the neck." A small lemon cake appeared in Petyr's hand, once again passing to the goblin who clutched it greedily. " If you find her before then, .alone." His voice showed there was no room for argument. With all that done, Petyr left the small hovel Lysa called a house.

The second he was out of it, he collapsed against the wall his labyrinth holding him up. Tentatively he touched the walls, hoping they would respond as they did merely hours ago. With no answer he drew his hands back into his cloak. How the hell did that girl get her on her side so quickly? What was about her that made everyone love her?

* * *

Sansa blinked at the sudden light pouring from above, she tried to block her eyes from the shock but her hand provided little protection. Varys himself just stared up at the hole in the ceiling, waiting for the hound to give the signal it was all clear of Petyr's men.

The hound returned moments later, sunlight still shining through the tunnels. " All clear." With a grunt he picked Sansa up by her waist, heaving her up and out of the tunnel.

" Do I get to be carried too?" Sandor just glared at the spider in answer, following Sansa out into the sunlight. " No one loves a spider" Varys sighed.

Soon all three were standing in what looked like a courtyard, though they could still see the castle far in the distance. Varys perked up, recognizing where they were. " The Scarred Goblin!" He cooed, smiling at Sansa and the hound. Sansa just gave him a gentle questioning look while Sandor glared at him...again.

" An old friend," He explained, the smile refusing to leave his face. A few spiders scuttled away from his human form, each going in separate directions. " He'd be more than willing to help if it means bringing down the bane of his existence, well beside his nephew anyway." Varys laughed at his own private joke, striding forward with confidence.

Sansa looked up at the hound who shrugged. It was her decision whether or not to go find the Scarred Goblin. It was her brother they needed to get. She knew they would need all the help they could get, but she still wasn't sure she trusted any goblins. She hadn't met any save for the few in her parent's bedroom who tortured her alongside the King.

Sansa quickly decided, running after the silked man the hound once again in tow. " How could he help?"

" Oh he has no love for King Petyr. He also has some very well placed friends. His cunning is rivaled only by me and Petyr." Varys once again laughed, the sound high and soft. " He will make a great asset. Even people who don't like him he'll be able to get on our side. Petyr has done little within the last century or two to win his people's love." Varys stared ahead, a serene look crossing his face as he remembered all the follies he watched the King make.

" Are you sure he won't turn me over?" Sansa still wasn't sure of who Varys and Sandor served till they had come face to the Goblin King himself and he threatened them. Few people did that to their own men. Well few sane men.

Sandor grabbed his sword, the sound of metal being unsheathed. " He won't if he likes his pretty little eyes." the hound answered, his sword going back to it's resting position. Sansa wondered how the hell she managed to keep such dangerous company.

"Ah!" Varys called from in front of the teen, a large ornate door not dissimilar from the one she used to enter the Labyrinth was in front of them. With thinly disguised giddiness, Varys knocked on the door each knock in a different spot on the decorations littering the wood. Leaning back he waited patiently for any noise.

WIth a creak, a lower part of the door opened, a round face poking it's way through. " Yes?" His voice was young, he looked to be Arya's age but he had none of the same confidence. He refused to look any of them in the eyes finding the floor much more interesting.

" I am here for your Lord, Podrick." Varys said softly to the child he clearly knew. The boy known as podrick just nodded, the small hole he poked his head through disappearing and forming back into the seamless wood.

Turning slightly to Sansa, the spider whispered " The Scarred Goblin fancies himself a Lord of the Labyrinth, him being one of the few she keeps from Petyr's sight, no matter how hard he tries." She just nodded absentmindedly, hoping she could somehow win the maze's favor in such a way.

A bang sounded from the other side of the door, one side of the huge wood, moving to open slightly, a taller man showing in the opening with podrick behind him.

"Spider, we were wondering when you'd show your bug eyed mug around here." The man said gruffly to Varys who only gave a smile sansa came to know as a mocking one, barely different from his normal one.

" Bron, so nice to see you too. How is your lord?"

" Drunk as fuck. Nearly passed out. Best time for you to show up really. At this time even I can get him to agree to doubling my pay." Bron opened the door further, plenty of room for all three of them to walk through.

" I would think living was high enough of a pay."

" One would think, wouldn't they?" Bron laughed, closing the door behind them once they all marched their way through. His eyes stayed on Sansa a moment too long, before regarding Sandor.

" What's with this ugly son of a bitch?"

Sandor growled in his direction, Bron almost seeming amused by that while podrick hide further behind the man.

" Bron!" Called a voice coming closer to them, " Is that anyway to treat our guests? After they come with such great news?" Slowly a small goblin showed from around the corner of one of the Labyrinth's walls. Sansa knew why Varys called him the Scarred Goblin. There was a long cut down his face, half his nose missing. His head looked grotesque, way too big for his small body. His grey skin looked as if every movement was cracking it like stone. She wondered what caused such scars, her brain reminding her of the war the Labyrinth made her witness.

The small goblin waddled forward, holding his hand out for the girl to take. Slowly, after looking at both her companions , she took it. Gently the goblin kissed it, placing his smaller hand over it. " So, My dear Sansa, I rather want to hear your plans to bring down Petyr."


	11. Doors of Destiny

Sansa stared at the goblin in shock, fear creeping up her spine. " H-how…" The sentence drifted unfinished in the air, the scarred goblin only smiled.

" Varys isn't the only one with little birds"

" I don't use birds, Tyrion. They like the taste of me a bit too much for me to find use in them." The small goblin gave out a laugh, waving them to follow him. Sansa stood still till the hound and the spider were in front of her. She felt safer behind the wall of muscle and brilliant mind. Podrick and Bronn walked next to Tyrion, the small goblin setting a slow pace with his small legs.

" So, Sansa." The goblin starting again, " What _do_ you plan on doing with our gracious King?" The teen stayed silent for a breath, Sandor's hand resting gently on her shoulder. Looking up she saw he walked beside her now, clearly sensing her anxiety over the three new people.

" I plan to get my brother back." She finally answered. It was the truth. She didn't want to rule over the Labyrinth, she didn't want to see Petyr overthrown. She just wanted Rickon. " And I only have seven hours to do it."

Tyrion whistled low, Bronn looking at Sansa with respect. " Pissed him off, did you?"

Sansa blushed, remembering how simple it was to mess up her chances. " Told him the Labyrinth was easy."

Podrick gave a small giggle, Bronn outright laughing. " I like this one, pair of balls bigger than yours." He said to the Goblin who only smiled up at him in amusement.

" Not that hard to do."

The hound,spider and teen watched the three joke back and forth. They were the outsiders here. Varys slowed his steps briefly till he was walking in time with Sansa and Sandor. " Be careful here. He may be a friend but he has his own goals, my lady." He whispered to them.

"Couldn't say this before we walked through the bloody gate?"

Varys shrugged slightly, Sansa smiling lightly at the two. Despite her unease of the goblin with no nose, she had her spider and hound. She knew she wasn't going to get hurt any time soon.

Finally Tyrion stopped, several small doorways in front of the group of six. He turned around looking at his three guests. When he looked at Sansa she noticed for the first time his eyes were mismatched. One was a pale blue like hers and the other a deep brown, almost black. She shivered, not liking the feel the mismatched eyes gave her.

" I need more than you wanting your brother, my dear. I can't help you if all you want is something you wished away." Sandor gripped the handle of his weapon tight, but Sansa kept her eyes on Tyrion. " You are important to the King. He hasn't let any human in his Labyrinth since… God it's been about two centuries hasn't it?" He asked Podrick who was looking at the floor. Before Podrick could answer he shook his head continuing. " He was devastated last time, so you are a rather special case indeed."

"What happened?" Sansa couldn't help the concern coloring her voice. What changed the Goblin King so drastically? Varys had said he also stopped caring for his people around that time as well.

" A girl happened. Though I suppose she was a woman." Tyrion mused. His hand snapped up, catching a coin Bronn dropped. " She used his power against him." The small goblin twirled the coin on his fingers, similar to how petyr had done it, but less elegant and more to just show off the coin. Sansa suddenly remembered the warm spot in her pocket, her own coin reminding her they still existed. " She took one of these and unlocked his power in a way a human with a Fea's heart can."

The coin flew in the air, before landing in Sansa's hand. She stared at it in wonder. How could someone use someone else's love against them? It was so… cruel.

" He's been careful about them ever since. Letting them only roll and fly to people he trusted. Once used for it's intended purpose they usually disappear just like the King is overly fond to do." His eyes watched Sansa carefully, looking for her reaction. She just stared down at the gold coin in her hands. It was cold. The one in her pocket seemed to give off more heat, annoyed at the lack on this one. Her fingers trailed along the side, the raised words feeling comforting underneath the pad of her finger. She turned the coin, finally able to see the words.

" Knowledge is power…" She mumbled under her breath. Varys nodded sagely while the hound scoffed.

" A good sword and a bastard to wield it is power"

Tyrion just rolled his eyes, reaching towards Sansa to grab the coin back. " This is merely a fake. And they don't always look like this I'm afraid. He does love using a coin but they can take shape and form of anything the King decides." The small goblin sighed, depositing the coin in his pocket. " Even if I had the real thing, I could scarcely use it. Petyr holds no love for me." Once again Bronn laughed.

"The only heart he'd give you is your own."

"Thank you, Bronn" The scarred goblin said sharply, giving Bronn a look. The human just smiled down smugly.

" Podrick, Some wine please." Tyrion requested of the young boy, who jumped and ran off to get. Bronn just shrugged his shoulders, smiling at Sansa when the goblin finally stopped looking at him in annoyance. " Sansa, You need to want more then your brother if you wish to defeat him. It is noble to want to save him but noble people have died at Petyr's hand." The goblin gave Sansa a look, she felt as if he knew of the vision she had had.

" Lord Tyrion." Sansa began, after giving both her companions a quick look. Varys looked amused while Sandor looked like he was about to kill the two. " I need to find Rickon. Now. I'm wasting time just being here."

Tyrion just smiled again, his mismatched eyes twinkling. " I don't think so, My dear. You are using your time wisely." The goblin pointed behind him, " These doors will help you in your travels. All I ask is we come with."

She stared back in astonishment at the two in front of her. Podrick still hadn't returned with whatever labyrinthiens called wine. There was no way he'd help them just to put himself in danger. "Why?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. " You said nobel people die. Helping me would be nobel,wouldn't it?

" Oh, no wonder he likes you"

Sansa just continued to regard him suspiciously, till he sighed seeming to finally give up on holding it back. " I want him gone,Sansa. He's been a thorn in my side for too long. Though what he did to my loving brother and sister was hilarious in it's own way. I need him gone and you are my way to it. He cares for you, my dear. For one reason or another, you are special."

Sansa looked behind him to the doors. " You're using me." She whispered. She knew her Sandor and Varys both could be using her. She hoped they were both helping them out of the good of their hearts. But to hear so bluntly that someone just wanted to use her against someone else was shattering.

But isn't that how the world was? No one did anything out of the goodness of their hearts. It was either for love,power or money. Nothing was free. Sansa felt the ground below her rumble slightly almost in approval before her eyes focused back on Tyrion.

" And I will tell you that I am. I won't lie to you. You hold something none of us could be able to. For that I pledge myself, Bronn here and my dear friend Podrick to your use. All I ask is you let us … tag along." The teen turned to her companions. The spider seemed to nod slightly at her, giving her approval while the hound gripped his sword tightly. That clearly meant his disapproval of the situation. That made her the deciding factor.

She looked back at the scarred goblin and his two human friends, podrick returning with a glass pitcher of deep red liquid that had blue swirls swimming through it. " Alright." Her hand wove through her hair de tangling strands on it's way. "Alright." She repeated.

Tyrion grinned, suddenly reminding her of a vicious lion. " Wonderful."

The goblin turned around, sipping a glass of the 'wine' Podrick brought him. " Which one will you choose, Sansa?" He asked in reference to the several doors littering the wall. She just looked at them then him in response. " They all lead to the same distance away from the castle. None more difficult than the last. Just different. You will be closer than we are now, giving you…"

Tyrion looked over at Podrick who answered with a "6 hours and 40 minutes"

" Giving you 6 hours and 40 minutes! To get to these spots it would take hours."

Varys was the first to speak, " We thank you, my lord. You are most generous."

"Save your thanks, friend." Tyrion responded, a kinder smile showing when he looked at the spider. " We haven't beat him yet."

Sansa ignored them, looking at her options. Each one looked exactly the same giving nothing away to the world behind it. Experimentally, she walked past her new companions to open one just to see where it went. No sense going somewhere without knowing where. She tried to pull it open but the door stayed shut. Dimly she heard Tyrion shout, she turned around to see what he was yelling about. Before she could focus on his words, the door behind her flung open a force like a powerful wind grabbing her. Her hands scrambled to reach her friends all of them looking shocked.

Sansa tried to yell for help but before a single word could escape her mouth she was through the doorway, her last view of her friends was Sandor trying to grab her hands, and Varys' arms exploding towards her, the spiders launching after her.

* * *

The world came back in parts.

Touch was first. She couldn't feel the cold stone, instead it felt like dried leaves made into a cushion. She was laying on her stomach, the sky behind her.

Then hearing. There were birds, soft and far away. Some noise closer but Sansa couldn't tell how close.

Smell. It reminded her of the godswood by home. Earth all natural filled her nostril making her miss Lady for the first time since coming to the Labyrinth.

Taste. Dirt. She spit some out her eyes finally opening as she pushed herself off the floor.

Finally Sight. Sansa was under some large trees, their shade blocking out the sun as far as she could see. Below her was a carpet of leaves, most likely from the trees across this area of the Labyrinth. Or at least what she hoped was the Labyrinth.

Standing on her shaky legs, she looked around trying to find what pulled her through the doorway but she found a few problems. One. There was no one around, though she wasn't sure how long she was out. Two. No door.

There was no way back.

Sansa whirled around hoping maybe she just missed it. After the third time of scanning her surroundings she let out a string of curses, each one meant for her. How could she be so stupid?!

The teen sighed, Had going through her hair again, trying to calm herself down. Her hand reached for the warm coin in her pocket, pressing the gold into her palm. It probably left impressions of the words but she didn't care. It was something.

Now that her breathing was down a little, Sansa noticed something she completely looked over. Each tree had a face. More specifically, each tree had a face pointed towards her. Her eyes grew wide in fear as each face followed her in the wooded area, each face more horrific than the last.

" Oh thank the gods!"

Sansa whirled around again, the fear of the last few minutes tiring her. A spider hung from one of the large tree's branches, delicately balancing on a thin strand of web. She let go a sigh of relief, the voice reminding her Varys was most spiders… she thinks.

" Varys!" She shouted with glee, cupping her hand so the incredibly small spider Varys could land and not be at the mercy of the wind. He seemed to be uncharacteristically stressed, his normal cool demeanor giving way to fear and anger.

"My lady I thought you died!" He shouted, the spider pacing on her palm. Thankfully the one without the impressions of the coin. " Sandor nearly killed Tyrion after you fell through the door. Thankfully Bronn managed to stop him, but still!" The spider stopped looking at Sansa before sinking listlessly. " Gods, girl. What happened?"

Sansa couldn't help the guilt that tore through her. It hurt her to see her friend upset. She honestly hadn't meant for him to be so distraught. She hadn't even meant to be wherever she was, but life didn't seem to want to work with her lately. " I… I don't know." She admitted, her cheeks reddening. " I just touched the door and I don't know. I think something or someone grabbed me…" She looked around the woods again, hearing a small shuffling noise. She hoped it was the wind.

Varys stood silent. Sansa was about to make sure he was alright when he spoke again. " That is not normal, My lady. Someone did pull you through. Those doors don't open unless you push. I helped design shouldn't have opened towards you. Someone was on the other side."

She personally wished he kept that part to himself. The woods were dark as it was, her only companion being a small spider who couldn't hold up to a light breeze. Ignorance was a sweet bliss she wished he gave her.

" Lady Sansa, Please be safe. I can't get spiders there to form. Tyrion and I are working to get to you. It's a gamble where you landed." The spider turned around on her hand, surveying the land. "My lady, Do you have a pocket I may rest? It is very tiring controlling more than my form at once. I will wait there till I have news."

Sansa reluctantly showed Varys her pocket, hoping he would continue talking to her. His voice was a comfort in the dark woods she found herself in. As she put the spider in one pocket, out of the other she drew the warm gold disk.

' _She used his power against him'_ Sansa remembered twirling the coin in her hand. It had become a sort of safety blanket for her, like her dragonfly once was. But this was his. She was sure of it, the warmth pulsing in answer. Tyrion's was a replica and was as cold as the stone surrounding her. The coin was a part of him, warm. She supposed she should be disgusted she found comfort in it but found she didn't particularly care.

" Well, you seem to be lost, little one."

Sansa wished for once she could get the jump on someone. Make them jump in fear instead. She was tired of being terrified. When Sansa looked up from her coin she saw a goblin. This Goblin was larger the Tyrion and sharper. Their hands looked more like claws, their nose pointed up almost in constant distain. They had long red hair which dragged along the ground collecting leaves and dirt.

Before Sansa could open her mouth, the goblin spoke again. " What's a little thing like you doing this close to the castle?" She realized the goblin had no idea who she was. For once she had a small advantage over someone. If they didn't know she was the Labyrinth challenger they might not try to send her the beginning.

"I'm looking for the Spider." She told the goblin, her mind supplying a lie, " The king said he was a traitor now. Well, I came to help get rid of the bug once and for all." The goblin regarded her suspiciously before her lips parted in what was probably a small, her thin lips thinning over long gnarled teeth.

" Good, Humans are easy to use. Easy to get to high places. You will call me Lysa, though the King has probably told you all about me already." Her voice was high and grating, sounding similar to nails on a chalkboard. Sansa tried not to wince at the noise. " What do we call you?" The goblin sniffed in Sansa's direction.

" Uh.. Alayne. They call me Alayne."

Lysa only nodded, looking Alayne over again before heading the way she had been originally walking before she came upon the human. It was in the opposite direction of the castle. Sansa almost continued away from the goblin, but Lysa seemed close with Petyr. If she realized who she was she could tell him and he'd trap her in another dark hole or send something worse than lions.

She managed to suppress a shiver as she followed Lysa and screams ricocheted through her mind.

* * *

Varys tried to keep himself together as he hit the wall with a loud thump. Every instinct told him to disperse and run from the monster of a man.

The hound glared down at him, teeth bared in a vicious snarl. A flurry of movement had him pressing Varys against a wall and Bronn placing a sword at Sandor's neck. The hound didn't seem to care about the metal biting into his neck, his eyes only on the spider.

"Where. The hell. Is. She?" He grounded out, his muscles rippling with him holding himself back. Varys knew if Sandor wanted he would be nothing but bug paste on the wall. He'd have to calm down the vicious dog.

" I don't know ,Sandor." He answered " Truly!" He added at the dog giving him a look that said he clearly didn't believe him. " In all my years I've never been where she is. It's dense, weirwoods making up every tree there." He looked past Bronn and Sandor to Tyrion who was deep in thought. " She said someone pulled her through. The door had opened towards her, not away."

"Impossible," Tyrion replied voicing his thoughts. "Or highly unlikely in any case… She'd have to throw all her weight on those doors to open them. Anyone would…." The small goblin trailed off his thoughts whirling around as he tried to figure out where their hero of the labyrinth went.

" Get her." The spider focused on Sandor once again.

" I would if I could. But I don't know where she is. I'm lucky I got a spider with her as it was. Can't send myself where I don't know." Varys explained slowly as if talking to a child.

Varys tried not to flinch as Sandor pounded the wall next to his head. The spiders twitched aching to run from danger. " I promised I'd help her" his voice was low, the words themselves seeming to hurt him as they tore out of his mouth.

Slowly, the pressure on him lessened, the hound backing off. The blade left Sandor's throat as well now that the threat was gone. Sandor slumped against the wall next to Varys. " Bloody good I am, letting her get taken."

Varys felt the overwhelming need to soothe the man's guilt, his own bubbling to the surface. He was the one to convince Sansa to meet with his friend. " You will get who hurt her, Sandor."

The words seemed to do little to comfort the man, who only looked up to glare at Tyrion trying to get him to think of a way to get her faster. Tyrion seemed oblivious to this, drinking cup after cup of the wine Podrick brought to him. Varys walked over, plucking the cup from the goblin's grasp. Tyrion just produced another one to the spider's disdain. " A toast, friend, I find it helps me think."

Varys gaze lingered on the liquid in the cup before it shifted to the small goblin. Tyrion clearly wanted him to give the toast.

The spider sighed airily, repeating the words Sandor said earlier that day, " Fuck the king."

Sandor only nodded,"Fuck the king. Fuck his castle too." Tyrion smiled at both of them, raising his glass of wine.

" Fuck the King and all he owns."


	12. The Moon Door

" The spider and the Hound." Lysa said again for what seemed like the hundredth time. "What stupid names." She added this time. Sometimes she'd add a little tidbit about them, sometimes just plain insulted them. Either way her voice scared away anything for miles so there was no chance they were finding Sansa's friends to kill or otherwise.

They had been at this for an hour, They would double back sometimes further than before. Sansa noticed she actually was closer to the castle then she had been when she first appeared in the woods. She'd be closer if the she-goblin left her alone.

"Alayne, You ever meet the two?" Lysa asked. Once again Sansa shook her head. Lysa's memories seemed faulty at best sometimes. It was torture.

" Nasty people they are. They call the big one hound cause he barks like a dog. Some say the king taught him to roll over like one." Sansa couldn't help the snort that wormed it's way out of her at the thought of Sandor rolling over like a dog. Lysa just gave her a cold look thinking the girl was making fun of her. " Should leave you here…" The goblin muttered.

Sansa just ignored the comment, her hand weaving to her pocket. In one a still silent spider Varys sat. He hadn't moved, no matter what Sansa whispered to the creature. It was useless, He was too busy trying to find her to find her.

Out of her other pocket she played with her coin, mindlessly twirling it. Over the last hour she began teaching herself how. She was getting pretty good now. And Lysa hadn't seen it once. A personal accomplishment in Sansa's mind.

" The spider is a right bastard too. They say he's friends with that disgusting imp." Lysa spit on the ground as if to get rid of the taste the word left in her mouth. " He's nasty too, no nose freak thinks he can outwit Petyr all the time. But the spider, ohhh he can be anywhere he wants. Uses spiders, which is where the name came from." The goblin explained, as if Sansa was a baby who didn't understand much beyond her own two feet. " He doesn't come round here though. No one does. I like it like that." Lysa smiled again, sharp teeth showing. "We should be leaving the moon soon though, almost out… then we can get those three."

"Three?" Alayne asked trying to get information out of Lysa. The more the goblin thought she had over her the better.

" A human girl too. Yes that's what he said." For once the goblin had her undivided attention. She knew about her.

"Wait, a human girl too? I thought we were just after a spider and a dog?"

Lysa looked at Sansa like she was stupid. " No, you foolish girl. They just need to be out of the way. Where the hell have you been, Alayne? The girl is his ward. Well not anymore anyway." Lysa gave a chuckle that sounded like cats dying. " Got to give her a treat if she's past the Neck. If she's not gotta leave her alone. Petyr and me went over it for hours, making sure everything was alright." Sansa didn't know why, but she got a distinct feeling the King didn't like spending more than five minutes in this particular Goblin's presence. " If she's before the neck, no way she's getting to my love. Then he and me will rule like we are meant to." Lysa went back to the dream world she seemed to love, ignoring her helper.

' _The neck,'_ Sansa thought wondering where in the labyrinth that was. Or the moon, where currently it seemed her and Lysa were walking through.

The girl lost herself in thought, her gold coin ever twirling through her fingers. She didn't even noticed when Lysa stopped, tripping straight over the goblin. They ended up in a tangled pile, Lysa shrieking in annoyance and not pain,scratching Sansa to try to get up. Sansa tried to get herself untangled, a difficult process with the goblin scratching her. Finally Sansa crawled backwards away from the angry goblin, her back pressing against one of the many red leafed trees. Taking a deep breath she looked over to where Lysa had been staring when they fell.

It was a sickly looking goblin in the middle of the path. They were about the same size as Tyrion though their head was slightly goblin looked almost sickly, their skin shining as if just standing there was exhausting, bags under their tired eyes but above the ever sniffling nose. Lysa seemed to recognize them, all anger leaving them.

She ran up to the smaller goblin, cooing and petting their hair. Sansa could just barely make out 'sweetrobin' and 'my sweet little thing'. Lysa kissed the other goblin's head, causing them to smile.

" Mommy, I want to make her fly. I got her so we could make her soar!" The kid goblin yelled in glee, sickly hand covered in snot pointed Sansa's way who stiffened at the attention being brought back to her. Lysa glared at the teen, still petting the child's hair.

"Shhh, sweetrobin. We can. I promise we can. I just need to help the King." Robin stomped his foot, sniffing and looking like he was about to cry. Instead he yelled.

" I brought her! I get to throw here threw the moon door!" Suddenly Sansa understood why Varys rarely came here. This boy was spoiled and from how the spider and hound reacted to the moon door being mentioned by Petyr, it was nothing good.

Lysa looked from the child goblin to Sansa then the castle, before finally nodding to Sansa's despair.

* * *

"Oh gods no."

Tyrion looked up from the paper he had drawn several runes on. His face fell as he looked up at had gone silent for several minutes."No… she isn't…" He didn't finish, the spider nodded, answering the unasked question. Sandor sensed the tension and fear. He almost growled till he looked at the fear all over Varys' face.

" No…. No. No" The hound repeated, " She can't be with the bitch!" He declared, swiping his hand across the table Tyrion sat at, the wine the goblin had been drinking smashing against a wall.

" The very one." Varys answered solemnly, " And the boy too."

Sandor let out a string of curses causing podrick to gasp and Bronn let out an uneasy chuckle. Sandor nearly rounded on the man till Varys put a hand out. " We know where she is. We can find her faster now."

" You better hope we do, spider," The hound threatened, Varys only bowing his head before going back to helping Tyrion with the magic required.

* * *

"SHE'S WHERE?!" Petyr screamed, his cool mask falling to reveal his true face. When he took note of the cowering goblin, he closed his eyes. He had to calm down otherwise the girl would be the death of him. He breathed out, bouncing rickon once on his hip.

" Of all the ways for that empty headed child to go, she chooses the moon." The king ranted softly to the baby in his arms. The goblins around his throne room began slowly coming out their hiding spots, sensing their king had finally controlled himself.

" I want her, unharmed," He stressed," brought to the edge of the Labyrinth. And make sure that crazy haired goblin doesn't get her greedy claws on her. She'll kill the girl…" Petyr paused, looking at Rickon then the walls of his throne room. The gears in his head turned quickly, a smile blooming across his face. " And that just won't do. No it won't" He cooed at the baby, the smirk growing wider as his plan came together.

* * *

Goblins were strong Sansa had come to realize. Even a child goblin could drag her with ease, an adult could practically lift her off the floor and throw her a good thirty feet away. She really didn't want to experience that, she thought as she was jostled over Lysa's shoulder.

There was little she could do to stop Sweetrobin from wanting to throw her through whatever the moondoor was. Turned out the little bastard was why she was in this hell hole of a forest as well. He wanted someone to fly, he bragged to his mom who patted his brown straggly hair with pride.

She was powerless as she watched their path backwards, every step Lysa made disorienting her.

"Alayne, you're going to have so much fun!" Sweetrobin assured her, running behind Lysa just to talk to her face to face. Sansa answered in a sarcastic smile which he took for the real deal. Thank the god his mom was face to face with her rear.

She sighed, letting her head fall against the goblin's back. If only she could get to Varys or maybe her coin she could do something. Doing either was a hard feat with hands tied behind your back, she noted to herself,glaring at the grey skin of her captor.

" Remember to not get any on you, sweetrobin" Lysa said sickenly sweet to the boy who seemed annoyed he couldn't.

"But why not?"

" It's toxic, robin baby."

Oh that sounded promising, Sansa groaned. Maybe if she told them now who she was she could hope she was before The Neck wherever the hell that was. If she wasn't, Lysa threatened a treat something the girl was sure wasn't going to be sweet for her.

It took several more minutes before the two stopped, Sansa moving backward with the movement. Seems they were a lot closer to the moon door than where her and Lysa started. She blew a red strand out of her face as she looked up to see where they were.

 _Oh look. Trees,_ she thought dimly , _What a surprise._

They were moving forward again through what looked like a was bounced again as she felt them going down steps in the cave. Sansa glared at the trees that were disappearing in front of her, if only the carved faces could help her. Her eyes grew wide as she saw something in the trees move forward slowly. At her last glimpse of the trees she saw the shadowed figure right before the cave entrance.

"uh…" Sansa tried to raise her concerns, thinking maybe whatever was there was planning on killing them both. But the second the sound left her mouth she felt something hard smack against the back of her legs backing her yelp in pain.

"Shut up," Lysa hissed to the gleeful joy of sweetrobin.

' _Gods, I hope it kills them'_ Sansa venomously thought as she was surrounded by the darkness of the cave.

"Open! Open! Open!" Sansa heard the child yell, the sound of his jumping bouncing off the walls of the cave. She felt herself be shifted till she was flipped over and thrown coldly onto the ground.

Groaning at the pain, Sansa made to sit up before a hand gently pushed her back down. The owner of the hand made no sound so she was unsure who it belonged to but her gut telling her it wasn't Lysa or Robin.

Not for the first time and most certainly not for the last, fear ripped through Sansa but she stayed quiet. Whatever was happening she would be dead already if the phantom hand wanted her dead. She bit her tongue to resist the urge of shouting out.

She heard distantly a crank being pulled, Robin's shouts of glee almost covering it up. Slowly light filled the room, though it was grey and cold. In front of the bouncing goblin, a hole opened in the floor a putrid smell blowing through its gaping maw. Lysa joined the smaller goblin, kissing the top of his head again her gaze locked on Sansa.

Sansa realized that whatever pushed her down gently was no longer there, no phantom hand anywhere in the small cavern of the cave. They had left her to fend for herself. Her face hardened. ' _I can save myself'_ , she told herself, glaring back at Lysa who was making her way over to the girl.' _I don't need a knight or hero.'_

Sansa kicked out at the Goblin as she got closer, knocking her down. Just as fast as Lysa went down she was back up her claws poised to rip Sansa to shreds if she did that again. She tried her feet colliding with the Goblin's head though she ignored it like it was nothing. Seened surprise had gotten her the first time. Lysa got to her hair,pulling it to try to get her to stop squirming. Sansa in turn bit her arm making the goblin let go with a high pitched yelp and a smack across her face. The teen ignored her stinging cheek in favor of trying to head but the redheaded goblin. Somehow Lysa managed to avoid her head, grabbing her tied up arms and physically dragging her across the hard stone.

" Stop it!" Lysa shrieked as Sansa continued her struggling, throwing her entire weight into the smaller creature. Sansa just yelled back in rage refusing to go down without a fight. Eventually Lysa had managed to get the girl to the hole in the floor, Sansa gagging and having to stop struggling to put all her efforts in not retching at the smell alone.

Robin's feet dangled out the gaping hole, hundreds of feet between his kicking toes and the bottom of the hole. Being this close Sansa saw it was a hole to the outside, the cave hanging over some bubbling disgusting bog. The smell hit her full force again making her choke and try to turn away. Lysa only gripped her arms tighter, cutting into her pale skin. Weakly she tried to struggle again, the putrid smell dragging the fight out of her.

"Can I push her?" Robin asked sweetly, making Sansa raise her head to just glare weakly at the boy. Lysa didn't answer, holding her tighter. Sansa bit her lip ,trying to not make a noise as she felt the claws draw blood, the warm liquid slowing spilling down her back. The Goblin didn't seem to care, pulling Sansa back to only prop her on her knees in front of the gaping maw. She let out a gasp of pain as her head was pulled back by her hair, her head being manipulated to look at Lysa.

The rage in Lysa's face should have made Sansa balk but she stared back in defiance. Playing along with the goblin wouldn't save her. She had to fight if she wanted to survive. Lysa reached down , eyes never leaving Sansa's. Her claws found her pocket, grabbing at the bit of gold that poked from it.

At this Sansa's eyes grew wide in fear. The coin must have dislodged a bit while she was fighting. The fear only grew as Lysa shoved the coin in front of the teen's face, her rage growing the more she looked at the coin in her claws.

"Where the _hell_ did a little bit like you get this?" She demanded. For a second only Sansa's heavy breathing filled the cavern, even Robin realizing how important this moment was. For a flicker of a second an idea flitted through Sansa's head.

"I was supposed to give it to you after we found the spider!" She yelled, willing tears to come to her eyes. Lysa just gripped her hair tighter, making her have to bite her lip again to not groan in pain.

"Me? Why… Why would he be giving it to me?" The rage had dispersed a little, hope and confusion replacing them. Sansa almost felt bad for playing her. Almost.

Before Sansa could answer another voice answered. " Because he loves you!"

As Lysa whirled around, she dragged Sansa with her by the hair actually making the girl cry out in pain. Her eyes closed tight as she struggled to lessen the pain on her skull.

" Let her go, he sent me to get you. He misses you." The voice said to Lysa, Sansa thankful as the goblin's grip faltered, almost dropping Sansa completely. She heard steps coming closer to the three, for a moment Sansa feared the newcomer was going to push them both into the pit. Instead the pried Lysa's hand from her hair, unceremoniously pushing Sansa to the side.

She was thankful for the cold stone, almost finding the ground comforting compared to the tight grip. Wearily, She cracked her eyes open, watching a portly goblin holding Lysa's hands, the red head's face overcome with joy.

" He did?" Lysa asked, her sickeningly high voice for once barely a whisper, the smile over her thin lips tiny and not as grotesque or cruel as any she gave to Sansa.

" He told me he wanted to make you a queen." The portly goblin answered, his face kind if not a little red as if he dipped into wine a bit much.

Lysa's smile grew, her defenses lowered.

"Queen of the Bog." As Lysa realized what the words meant, her smile falling into confusion and fear, the newcomer gave a hard shove. Sansa watched as she tumbled backwards, nothing but air to catch the cruel goblin. She heard Robin scream but no sound came from Lysa. It was as if she merely faded away. Robin had started sobbing, her savior picking him up and bringing him away from the hole in the floor.

"Robin," The goblin whispered, trying to calm the hysterical child. "Robin!" He finally shouted, the child's cries diming to merely sniffles, the snot practically pouring down his face. " She's fine. I swear it she is fine. It's only the bog!" The goblin tried to reason but it only made the child cry harder. Exasperated, the newcomer looked between the hole and the child before thinking better.

"It's poisonous!" Sansa was able to make out between cries. The other one must have heard too because he barked out a laugh, it was a jolly laugh like one a fool for a castle would have.

"Child! The bog isn't poisonous! Merely smelly. Why do you think they call it the bog of eternal stench?" He chuckled out, patting the kid's head as he smiled over at Sansa who sagged in relief. She wasn't going to die. Not today.

"Robin," The goblin called, causing the child goblin to look up. " I need to go, your mother is fine. She just ya'know, can't leave." The goblin shrugged, ruffling the kid's hair again before walking towards Sansa.

"You can't take her. I brought her here." Robin whispered, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"With power that wasn't yours, might I add." The goblin looked over his shoulder to Robin, drawing a knife he had hidden somewhere. Sansa would have been afraid but the creature had so many chances to kill her. The knife quickly sliced through her bonds releasing her. With a sigh of relief, she rubbed her wrists enjoying the feeling of being able to move her hands.

" You fought hard, Sansa." The goblin commended, his breath smelling heavily of alcohol. Sansa welcomed it after coming face to face with the bog. She smiled warily at him, taking the hand he offered to help her up.

"Who are you?" The Goblin paused, his eyes searching Sansa's as his plump face drew together as if he had to think hard on this. He was taller then Lysa,Sansa noted, and wore a lot of clothes… The goblins she had seen so far generally wore a piece of cloth to cover their bodies but little else. This one seemed to be made of cloth, nothing but his hands and head showing through the bundles. She wasn't even sure the plump belly was a belly, maybe just the rags bundled together.

" Ser Dontos," He finally said, smiling again. Sansa couldn't help but smile back, maybe she did need a Knight after all.


	13. Lemon Cakes

Sansa watched as Ser Dontos cradled her arm looking at the still bleeding cuts. He touched them with care making sure the cloth he was wrapping around them wasn't too tight. With a release of air he had been holding to stay steady he patted her leg, standing up.

The goblin was different from the others, she had come to realize. Besides the clothes he was more gentle, and actually seemed to care for looks, his own dark hair neatly trimmed. He almost seemed to want to emulate humans. When Dontos noticed her staring, he smiled his red cheeks rising. His smile too, it was too kind. Tyrion's was always sad or mocking. Lysa's being cruel. She grew fond of the goblin.

She didn't trust him one bit.

Taking care of someone and being kind could just be another trick. The labyrinth was vast and had many ways to play someone. She could hear Varys warning her replaying in her head. " _Nothing's as it seems here, my dear. Take nothing for granted."_ Not even kind goblins.

Sansa stood, her legs protesting from lack of weight on them for so long. They were still in the caves. Ser Dontos wanted to make sure she was okay before they left. She let him, wondering where they would be headed. Dontos had said himself before he pushed Lysa that Petyr had sent him. Would he take her to the beginning? Convince her it was a kindness?

" Is it true?" When the goblin gave her a questioning look she elaborated, " what you said about the bog?"

Ser Dontos chuckled, holding Sansa's hand. " No. Lysa is dead. She and the boy can't touch the bog lest they want to die. An affliction only cursed on those two and her dead husband." Dontos looked over at Robin. " He's an orphan now."

Robin sat over the still open Moon Door, legs once again dangling over the edge. Ser Dontos had stopped trying to get him away after the fifth time. Let the kid fall, he muttered under his breath with a shake of his head. The goblin looked down perhaps looking for his mother. At least he stopped screaming.

Sansa walked up to the hole, holding her breath so she couldn't smell the bog. The boy goblin smiled up at her as if he didn't rip her from her friends for the pure reason of pushing her through the very doors he dangled over. She could push him, she thought. A simple shove and he'd met his mother.

No. She shook her head of those thoughts. He was just a child. A spoiled child but a child none the less. She sat down cross legged where she thought she was going to lose her life. Ser Dontos stood on the far edge of the cave where she left him barely moving, just watching.

"I'm sorry about your mom."

Robin looked over at her again, humming lightly. " Sokay, Dontos said she's fine. She just can't come back to The Moon to play anymore. She's gotta stay with the other stinkies." The goblin giggled soon losing interest in talking with Sansa. She tried not to cringe, knowing the kid still believed he could talk to his mother again one day.

At that she moved to get up, refusing to subject herself any further from the terrible fate cursed on the child and the smell. As she moved to get up her hands rubbing against something warm. She almost withdrew her hand on instinct , her head whipping around to see what animal or who she brushed past. Slowly her hand reached back out, grasping the item and laughing. Maybe talking to Robin wasn't a complete lost.

She found the coin, in her fight to lie and free herself she completely forgot about it. Lysa had it in her hands but she must have dropped it. Her lucky charm had worked, she was alive and Lysa wasn't. The coin gave her hope she could still win this Labyrinth. She lay a kiss on the gold surface, jumping up to run to Dontos who looked shocked.

"I-Is that?"

"Yes!Yes!" Sansa yelled cheerfully, hugging Ser Dontos. " I'm going to give this to him when I take my brother back. He can have his power, I don't want it!" Sansa twirled Dontos around much to his discomfort. Eventually he got the girl to put him down, swaying as his feet touched ground again.

She smiled wide, Ser Dontos following suit as if her smile was infectious. The Goblin gave a small bow, putting his hands out to let Sansa pass and go up the stone steps to the forest. She giggled lightly, almost running up the steps so glad to be free of the almost claustrophobic feeling the cave gave her. When she burst through the darkness she took a deep breath, the smell of dirt,citrus and a bit of pine filling her nose. There was another smell hidden by the others that the girl had come to associate with the Labyrinth which she welcomed just as eagerly.

Dontos came through at a slower pace, letting her enjoy her moment of solace with the forest. Now that she had a companion she enjoyed a bit the faces on the trees looked less menacing and more watchful. Like a gaurdian set with the task of keeping her safe. She smiled lightly at them, her joy from finding the coin still washing over her. The teen turned so she was facing Ser Dontos and the tall imposing form of the Goblin King's Castle.

"I'm going to get him back." She whispered mostly for her own benefit. Ser Dontos only raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"I'm sure you will. Let's hurry then." The Goblin seemed to know where he was going, leading her through the dense trees, the castle staying on their left. They walked for several minutes, the determination Sansa held in her hands slowly draining as she realized the long trek they had before them. She wasn't even sure anymore how much time she had left to get to her brother. She wasn't even sure where she was! The teen groaned to herself hoping that wherever they were it was past The Neck or whatever Lysa called it. Before Sansa could ask her helpful guide, her stomach growled. Loudly. When Ser Dontos looked back at her curiously she couldn't help but blush, she hadn't eaten in several hours and clearly her stomach wasn't appreciating that much.

Dontos let out a jolly laugh, Sansa's own embarrassment disappearing with it. She began laughing too, the absurdity of the whole situation getting to her. Here she was after fighting tooth and nail to stay alive from a crazed goblin in an even crazier labyrinth, that wanted her to rule it against the wishes of the king who loved her and stole her baby brother, and her stomach decided she needed to eat. Ser Dontos wiped away a tear forming above his red colored cheeks, his other hand reaching into the clothes that made up most of his body. Carefully he withdrew his hand, showing Sansa a small lemon cake. Her eyes lit up with joy, her favorite food being presented to her.

Just as the joy was there it was quickly replaced by suspicion. She tried to hide it from her face as she took the small cake into her own hands. She continued to stare at it, trying to determine whether or not she should chance to eat it. She still didn't trust the goblin. She didn't trust much now in all honesty, but the goblin had come swooping in at the right moment almost too conveniently. He was a nicer creature then Lysa, but then again she could argue Petyr himself was a better than Lysa. At least he didn't try to kill her, just kept her from her brother.

Sansa looked up at the goblin, who was muching on lemon cakes as well and continuing their trek through the woods. That seemed to strengthen her resolve as she took a bite of the lemon cake and caught up with her savior, from both hunger and love crazy goblins.

"Where are we?" Sansa asked after a minute of silence, realising she still knew little of the Labyrinth. Her guide looked behind him, his face twisted in concentration.

" The Moon." He answered, his voice losing any jolly tone it once held. Sansa just waited for him to elaborate. " It's a crescent shaped forest in the Labyrinth just above The Neck, a river that cuts off more than half of the Labyrinth from the other. She allows it because the trees are just as hard to navigate as any of her stone walls." He spoke with almost reverence for the massive beast they walked through. The goblin patted a tree in passing, the face on it twisting to a smile. Sansa would have screamed almost hours ago but now she smiled back munching on her small cake silently.

" The bog is in the direct center," He went on explaining, once started he seemed to not want to stop talking of the world around them, " Terrible place, one touch from the waters within and you'll never get the stench out. Most who fall in are forced to live there." Sansa thought back to Robin mentioning the other 'stinkies' " A necessity of course, don't think anyone wants the smell of the Bog everywhere else." He gave a low laugh, the jolly goblin Sansa met in the cave returning. " Not even The Spider wants to come to the Moon, his keen senses throwing him off here. "

The mention of the spider threw Sansa off in her own way. She stopped suddenly with an exclain, "Oh jesus!" Her guide jumped,startled at her sudden noise. He turned around to see her digging around in her pockets with vigor, a whoop of joy being released when her hand stilled.

Sansa brought her palm up,pulling out the tiny spider that still rested in her pocket. Gently she poked him, hoping his legs would uncurl and shake off sleep. Instead he just moved with her finger seemingly still asleep. She sighed about to shove him back in with an apologetic look at Dontos, before she saw one leg twitch. With a whoop of joy that once again startled her savior she leaned in close to her palm waiting for Varys to wake.

"ahhh, My lady, did you fight a battle while I was in your pocket? I feel absolutely battered," The spider slowly unfurled his legs, stretching each of them in turn. One was bent slightly wrong but besides that Varys looked fine and unschated. The sider stopped his movements the second he saw the cloth wrapped around her arm. " Lady Sansa?" The spider questioned worried

"I'm alright I promise! A small cut, I swear .I found out who took me though," She answered with a roll of her eyes and blowing a strand out of her face, " Some spoiled brat named Robin"

"Ah." Was the spider only answer but it spoke with it's tone. He met the kid before.

"Yea ah. His mother tried to throw me through the Moon door, unfortunately the reversed happened." Sansa smiled, truly showing Varys she was fine. The spider let go a sigh of relief.

"Wonderful, I have less to fear from our mutual friend now." Varys mock shuddered," The amount of times he has almost killed me alone in the past hour is more than I can stand for a lifetime. We will be with you soon, My lady." The spider assured " We hoped to be there sooner but we had… complications."

"Do I want to know?"

"Let me just say if Sandor put his mind to higher learning instead of battering people trying to help, he'd be a scholar within a fortnight."

Sansa sighed, shaking her head. She looked up at Ser Dontos exasperated at her friends. She found the man looking amused as he watched Varys move around on her palm. Varys turned with her head, looking at the Goblin Sansa had yet to introduce.

"Ahh. Ser Dontos." Sansa rose her eyes at the change in tone, it was small but his words carried an edge of venom.

"Varys." The Goblin gave a small bow, a grin growing on his face.

" Why, may I ask ,are you with Lady Sansa?"

"I just saved her, my dear friend."

" I'm sure you did. I notice you leading her away from the castle as well. Very gracious of you Dontos. Or do you wish to change your title now?" The spider questioned. She watched the exchange between the two growing more confused and horrified as the conversation continued. She hoped to the gods this conversation wasn't leading her to where she thought it was. She was already sore learning her mistrust of the goblin was well founded.

Sansa looked over at Ser Dontos, pleading with her eyes for him not to do whatever it was he was about to. With grace she hadn't seen the plump goblin possess he pulled at one of the rags holding his outfit together. The rags fell aware the body in front of her rising till he was eye level with her. The man before her stood tall and proud, none of the mannerisms of the plump jolly goblin showing anymore. He smirked at Sansa, giving her a full bow.

" Sansa, nice to see you again." He stood up, his smirk never leaving. " Or should I say nice for you to see me. I've been seeing you for the past few minutes."

She stared in shock at Petyr, The Goblin King replacing her companion. Tears burned at the corner of her eyes but she fought them, refusing to cry in front of him. Her head spun with revelation that she had been kind to him and he in turn to her. One of her hands found her temple, trying to steady herself.

She must have swayed because before she knew it Petyr was holding her, gently bringing her down onto the soft leaf covered ground. Her free hand held on to him, her world spinning. Her other held a concerned Varys shouting something at her before falling over in disuse. She had barely made out him yelling they would get to her soon, she hoped they got there before she passed out.

Her eyes never left Petyr searching for something on his face. The man gave a flicker away, a small bit of guilt played on his eyes. " It had to be done, My dear." He whispered to her, smoothing her hair out of her face. His grey eyes flickered to her mouth as she tried to speak, the world becoming blurry around him.

"Wh...what did you do…" she wasn't sure the words even left her head but he understood all the same, peeling her hand off of himself gently to hold it tight in his own hands.

" What I had to do, My sweetling. To protect what is mine."

She swore she felt him put a chaste kiss on her forehead before she fell into the darkness, no one but her enemy to comfort her.


	14. The Dance

**My favorite scene to write so far! Hope ya'll enjoy a good ballroom dance!**

Petyr looked down at the beauty before him. She looked even more peaceful than he had ever seen her sleeping amongst the trees. He gently brushed a strand of red behind her ear, trying not to think of what she was doing to him.

He used to be able to think with his brain, not being affected by his heart in so long. He ruled with smarts and wits, using what he had to his advantage. He had few weaknesses and no one to be able to wield them properly. He was a perfect ruler.

Then she came along.

He watched her grow reciting words said to him well over a century ago, playing his fair maiden. She had wore the clothes, said the words, acted her part and he in turn fell in love all over again. She was so much more than a girl pretending to be his lady love. She was even better than her. She was smarter, more beautiful, more willing to learn the game. She was perfect for him.

She was his weakness. She _had_ his weakness in her very pocket. He watched her find it all over again and kiss it. He felt her lips against the gold like it was against his very own, the whole shock of her doing such an action freezing him till she spun him around telling her she was going to give it back to him. She didn't want his power. She didn't want him.

Petyr sighed, leaning down to gently lay a kiss on the girl's forehead. It was as close as he was going to allow himself now. She made her point clear to him even if she hadn't realized it was him. She wanted her brother and then she was going to leave. He should want that. He should want the wolf girl to leave his Labyrinth and let him rule over it again. He shouldn't want her to rule at his side.

But he was selfish. Selfish and thinking with his heart.

Petyr stood up, leaving the girl on the ground. He felt the tugging on the back of his head, his magic pulling him to the dream he knew she was having. He smoothed out his doublet, reaching down to the girl to grab the curled up spider. The goblin king, inspected the small creature before crushing it between his two fingers. Gods he hoped Varys felt that. The spider deserved more than just being crushed between his fingers, but he settled with doing what he could for the moment. Never let it be said he didn't live in the moment. With a final farewell gaze towards the sleeping girl he let himself cease to exist on the physical plane.

* * *

Falling.

She knew she was falling, the air moving around her , but she just couldn't bring herself to care. It was almost comforting having nothing around her but the dark empty space.

Falling.

She wasn't the only thing falling, she dimly noted. She was surrounded by glass and gold. The glass came in all shapes and sizes, some orbs and others as flat as a window. She swore scenes played out on them but they all disappeared before she could figure out what any of them were. She was happy in them, that much she knew.

Falling.

Sansa looked down, seeing nothing still , the ground never showing below her. She was fine with that. No ground ,no landing ,no Labyrinth.

Falling.

Slowly, as if she was surrounded by water, she grabbed one of the glass pieces that passed her. She had a feeling that it was the right one, the one that would help her. Looking deeply into the clear surface she watched the scene unfold from within the orb.

Landing.

Where once Sansa was surrounded by vast emptiness it was now filled with people of all sorts. They pressed upon her dancing as if they didn't have a care in the world. As she tried to move she realized she was no longer in her normal clothes. She was in a light blue dress, the skirt puffing out making her realize it was a ballroom gown. Her hair no longer fell past her shoulders instead it was pinned up to her head with all different kinds of gems. One she felt with her hand had a shape of a small bird, what one she couldn't imagine.

Dimly she turned in a circle trying to get her bearings, trying to know where she was. All she saw was a sea of masks, each one more disturbing and extravagant as the last. She could feel the faces behind them staring at her, judging her. Quickly she moved, trying to free herself of the sea of people who laughed and danced. All she saw among the people were muted colors, whites, greys and black swimming in front of her eyes. The only splash of color was herself, drawing every eye she passed

A flash of green among the white. Her head tried to follow the only color besides herself to no avail. It was quickly lost among the greys. Slowly she realized people were moving in front of her, clearing her path. She quickly took the path available , seeing the man at the end.

The Goblin King removed his mask, the beaked creature giving way to the ever smirking face she had come to know and recognize anywhere. His own outfit was a dark green, patterns swirling around his vest that moved on their own. His gloved hands held out for her, begging her company. Her steps never faltered, continuing to the only face she knew. The only one she could trust among the staring faces.

He was gone. She blinked and he was gone. Her head whipped around, standing on the tip of her toes to try to see over the ever moving crowd. Nothing, she saw nothing. Her feet moved, trying to find the one thing she knew, him.

The crowd pushed against her , her every movement being fought against by the laughing, leering crowd. She actually pushed someone, their Goblin Styled mask getting in her way too much.

There! She caught his face among the masked ones, his eyes never leaving her. He smiled at her as she began making her way towards him, her skirts hiked up so she could run. Someone pushed in front of her again, their dress sleeves puffing up like clouds. The second Sansa got the accursed dress out of her line of sight he was gone again, disappearing amongst the fake goblins and even faker smiles.

The room seemed to be spinning around her causing her to lose all sense of direction. The only thing she was sure of was Petyr. She had to get to him.

The people began moving faster, the entire world in a dance she was unaware of. The more she struggled against the current the further they pushed her back. Frantically she bumped into someone behind her. A hurried sorry rushed from her lips as she turned from the guest, the second she drew far enough away she saw them move the white fan from their face, the goblin king staring back serenely.

She stared in shock till she shuffled along again, losing sight of her king. She twisted around trying to get back despite knowing he wouldn't be there anymore.

As fast as the world began moving it all stood still. Looking up she saw who she was looking for. Sansa let out a breath of relief, Petyr walking down the steps that separated them. No one stood between them now, everyone standing to the side knowing they needed their space.

His hands fit her perfectly, she found herself thinking as one of his hands found her hip and the other held her hand so they could begin dancing with everyone else. Sansa found she couldn't look away from his eyes, his storm grey eyes with flecks of grey conveying so much as his mouth stood close in that constant smirk.

She could feel everything. If the world around her was like walking through water, being so close to him was like finally breaching the surface. She finally could breathe again and breathe she did. His mint scent invaded her senses filling her with him. He continued spinning her gently, pulling her closer to him still.

"Petyr.." It came out as a whisper, barely perceptible against the songs of the ballroom around them yet he still heard her. He always heard her.

His smiled grew softer, his spins getting slightly faster. "My Sansa." He responded, his voice washing over her as if he was whispering in her ear despite him standing in front of her like before.

The people that once stood in a circle around them began dancing as well, masking their movements turn for turn. They were leading the court, she realized. Their court. Their kingdom.

Her eyes darted back to his. She saw nothing but pride in them and… something else. Slowly it dawned on her. Love. He loved her. He truly loved her.

She was his fair maiden from the story she read in her room all that time ago.

Her mind was pierced with that thought, breaking through the haze.

Her room.

Home.

The Labyrinth!

Rickon!

She heard the chimes of a clock ringing through the ballroom as loud as any laugh that had filled her ears. She pulled from the Goblin King, his hands letting her go as if he never had a firm grasp on her in the first place. She had to ignore the grief stricken look shooting across her face, ignore the stabit sent through her heart.

She pushed through the crowd of dancers, unsure what was real or fake anymore. She couldn't remember how she got her, just knowing she had to leave. The crowd almost pushed back on her before she broke through them finally, a glass wall meeting her.

She knew what she had to do.

Sansa looked back, the Goblin King in the same spot still watching her as his eyes displayed the grief that had been written across his face moments before. "I'm sorry" She whispered again, knowing he couldn't hear her at this distance.

The teen grabbed a nearby candlestick, the flame playing across her hand but not hurting her. She threw it with all her might against the glass, shattering sounding like music to her ears.

Falling.

Again there was nothing below her. She was back to normal, the glass orb she had grabbed broken in her hands, cutting her. She didn't flinch just opened her hands so the glass flowed upwards as she continued her descent.

This time she knew she would have ground to met her.

* * *

He pushed against the tree in shock, his breath coming out in gasps as he gripped his chest cursing.

He hadn't expected that. Why would he? He would have no idea what her dream would be, only knowing it would reflect herself.

He sighed remembering how she felt against him as they twirled through the room together, her eyes never leaving him. It was like heaven.

Then she shattered her own dream just to best him once again. How had she known? How had she remembered?! He made sure she had eaten all of the lemon cake, she should've been stuck in her dream world till he himself let her go.

Her will was stronger than he anticipated.

That wouldn't do.

Petyr pushed himself off the weirwood tree, patting the tree gently in thanks for keeping him safe. He watched the face twist into a sort of smile as he smiled lightly back before turning around and walking towards his castle. With each step he became fainter till there was no sign of the Goblin King ever being there except for the smiling tree.


	15. The Land Beyond the city

" YOU SAID SHE WAS HERE!"

Varys and Podrick flinched as Sandor punched a nearby tree, it's face moving to a scowl which the Hound ignored.

The Spider glanced nervously from where he remembered Sansa being to the orny human. His very skin moved as he sent spider after spider out to look for their friend, their only hope. Sandor glared in disgust as one scuttled past him.

" She was. I.. I don't know where she went, he killed me… one of my spiders…" Varys seemed to be barely holding himself together physically, struggling to not run all across the Labyrinth. Sandor's outbursts just weren't helping in the slightest.

" You said she was passed out?" The spider turned his attention from the seething man to the small Goblin who was looking at the tree Petyr had rested Sansa against.

" Yes, _He_ did something to her." The venom was dripping from the Spider's voice as if he bit the words himself. Tyrion only nodded, seeming to understand completely. No one spoke the Goblin King's name for fear of what'd they do in anger. Sandor rolled his eyes at Varys, leaning against the very tree he punched.

"Let's go, Podrick bring me the passageway." The young boy ran forward handing the goblin a piece of paper. All the members of the group looked at him curiously wondering what he knew.

Eventually, after fiddling with the paper a bit, Tyrion began explaining, "He put her under a dream spell. You know the one," The goblin gave Varys a look that made the spider roll his eyes. " She would have to eat something. I imagine she did when he was Ser Dontos."

"He poisoned her?!"

Tyrion shook his head at the Hound then stopped, " well yes. In a way. She's fine I promise you."

Sandor didn't like that answer going back to leaning on his tree and mumbling something about how that was what Varys said before. Both spider and goblin ignored him. "Now where does Our Lord Petyr send things when he's done playing with them?" Tyrion raised his eyebrow and the paper, causing Varys to smile.

" The land beyond the city."

"The dump?" Bronn interrupted, having none of their vagueness. Tyrion just sighed, glaring at Bronn.

"Yes, the dump. Gods you bring the fun out of all discoveries."

'Just saying, be easier just to say the dump. No need for your 'Land beyond the City'. It's just a bloody dump full of bones and memory people."

Varys gave a tired smile, reaching for the Hound. The man almost resisted before giving a grunt and going to the Spider. "Memory people the girl needs to avoid." The spider pulled out a dagger from Sandor's belt, the steel glinting despite the sun being blocked out by the tall trees. He held out his hand as every member of their small group did the same.

Tyrion put the paper he had messed with onto the ground, strange symbols only him and Varys seemed to understand on it. The two looked at each other, knowing how much power they were using in this second passage. One of them were going to be severely injured. Varys felt it was worth it for the Realm. Tyrion just wanted to live in peace for once in his long life. Sansa was worth that risk.

The spider took the small dagger, stabbing all five hands before him lightly, only a tiny prick. Each man held their hand over the paper till a single blood drop fell and mixed. Varys and Tyrion kept their hands longer, making sure there was more of their blood than the others. Varys tried not to wince as he felt a spider die again for all the blood he was giving. He hoped there would be no more shed.

A rumble, a groan, the world moving around them. They heard the Labyrinth protesting against them, wanting them to follow the rules. She attacked, sapping energy from one of them, refusing to let them use such a jump without getting compensated vastly.

A screech, a jolt, the world stopped. Goblin and Spider falling onto the ground.

* * *

Sansa shot up, her heart pounding as her mind collided with the ground. Grasping her chest she felt her heart beating faster then the dancers in the ballroom.

The dream came crashing down on her a second later, everything she did invading her mind as if she watched someone else do it. Her eyes grew wide as she realized she searched for Petyr, actively sought him out. Held him close. /loved/ that he held her close.

Pushing the dream away, trying to blame it on her poisoned lemoncake, she looked around noticing she was surrounded by mountains of garbage and… was that a bone?!

She jumped up, her arms pushing her away from the small white deformed skull poking out from underneath a broken doll. She felt her heart beating fast again this time in fear. Now that she saw one, all she saw were the bones littering the towering mountains of lost and thrown away things.

Sansa continued walking backwards, hoping she'd escape this hellscape somehow. Her feet caught on a rib bone beneath her sending her flying backwards with an oomph and a yell below her. She tried to move only for her to be grabbed under her armpits and lifted up off the ground.

Sansa came face to face with a large woman, her back piled high with all sorts of different items. She swore she even saw a skull wedged between a sword with a lion carved on it and bloodstained armour, a stab wound cutting through the metal. The girl couldn't help but stare as the large woman looked her over, her own eyes growing wide in recognition.

"Your grace!" She called, putting Sansa down and falling to one knee The teen looked around, clutching her hands to her chest making sure the woman was talking to her.

"Me?" She squeaked, the shock of being stuck surrounded by bones and then this woman grabbing her still not making it's way through her.

" I knew you'd come back. Even when he managed to take back control! I knew it was only a matter of time." Sansa stayed silent as the woman continued going on, unsure who exactly she was talking about. "Oh, Lady Catlyn, I am still yours to control!"

The teen's eyes grew wide as she fell to her knees in front of the large woman, grabbing her face and making her look at her. " What did you say?" She demanded, fire burning where there once was ice freezing her still.

"I.. I am still yours to control," The woman looked nervous as if she said something wrong, "Your grace!" She quickly added.

Sansa only shook her head, her grip going from the woman's face to her shoulders, her grip never faltering. " No, No. The name! What name did you say!"

"Lady.. Catlyn Tully?"

The teen let her go, her face a blank canvas. "heh…" Sansa fell backwards, her hands bracing her against the bones and items. "hehehe, no you must be…" She didn't know what she must be but she knew the woman before her didn't mean her mother… right? Sansa couldn't help it, the smile breaking out across her face. _I must look deranged_ was her only thought as the smile made way to a laugh, crazed and filled with answers she didn't want.

"My Lady?" The woman got closer to Sansa, worry etched across her face.

The teen looked up at the woman, her items on her back piled higher then her. Briefly she wondered how she was able to carry such a load. " I am no lady." She whispered back, her laughter finally breaking. " I'm just a ghostly image."

Time must move faster here. It was the only explanation with how twenty years became two centuries. How her mother could be a lady love of the Goblin King. It explained everything. Petyr didn't love her. He loved who she _looked_ like. She was always told how much she resembled her mother. With her tully red hair and tully blue eyes. A spitting image of her mother twenty years ago. How could she have thought he loved her for who she was? She should have realized.

Sansa felt a thumb across her face, brought out of her thoughts she saw the woman wiping away a tear that had made it's way through her mask. The woman had more concern written on her face then she remembered anyone else having for a long time. Not even Sandor showed himself this much to her.

It scared her.

"Who are you?"

" I am… Brienne…" The woman told Sansa, her face screwed up as if trying to remember something. Sansa just nodded, taking a hand Brienne offered her to help her up. " I… I helped… Catlyn. I failed her?" The large woman looked at Sansa finally realizing she wasn't her mother. " I didn't mean to. She sent me off…" Brienne stared down at her own hands, seeming to see something Sansa couldn't. " It happened… I couldn't help her…" Whatever happened to the woman was clearly something that traumatized her.

" I'm Sansa." The woman only nodded looking around her as if noticing where she was for the first time in a long time. Her eyes grew wide with knowledge as if she knew what being in this graveyard of garbage meant. With a swipe of one her hands, some of the items cluttered on her back fell, a few staying, clinging desperately to be remembered and held on to. Brienne seemed to barely notice, as if the items were only a small itch.

"Where are we?" Sansa found herself asking people that too much within the last few hours.

"The Land Beyond The City" When the teen looked at the woman again, she had managed to get all the items that she had clung to off. She also seemed more aware of who and where she was. At least she'd be able to help somewhat. Clearly she helped her mom as she was still alive.

"It's a bloody dump!"

Sansa jumped at the familiar voice, smiling wide as she she turned at saw Bronn his ever present snark a welcome to the last few people she met. " Bronn!" She yelled, running to him and giving him a hug to his surprise. If he was here so was everyone else!

She let him go before he could react looking behind him to see Tyrion, Varys, Sandor and Podrick all smiling at her, The hound smiling the widest. She ran to him first, laughing as he spun her around in a hug. He was her first friend,and the first to warn her about this hell of a labyrinth.

Next she hugged Varys,whispering how sorry she was. He only patted her back but she felt him bury his head in her neck smiling. He seemed smaller to her then she remembered. She hoped Sandor didn't hurt her spider too much, knowing from what Varys said he was lashing out about her disappearance.

When she finally let go of Varys she noticed Podrick was holding up Tyrion, his small body slumped against the boy. She rushed to the Goblin, relieving of Podrick of some of his weight. "What happened?" She asked, knowing she was the cause somehow.

"She took too much," Varys answered looking solemnly at his friend. " It was a price we both knew about, Lady Sansa." He knew she blamed herself, she realized. She didn't even know what it was and she blamed herself.

"What did she take from you?" Sansa felt herself looking Varys up and down looking for damage. The spider only laughed lowly, his face showing the pain he didn't seem to want to talk about.

" I am only what you see before you, My Lady." He eventually said. " I can be no more nor no less. I am only spider in name." Sansa held back the gasp, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. She cost her friend his life, who he was. The spider only lay a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to tell her it was alright. His smile was kind but she could see the pain in his eyes.

"Varys.." She whispered, trying to stop the tears stinging her eyes.

"Enough, My lady." He asked her not unkindly, " I knew what I was doing. So did Tyrion. He will wake, eventually. His cost, we still don't know." Varys looked at Sandor then Bronn, each understanding the look despite Sansa not knowing what they were planning.

Brienne slowly made her way over to Sansa, ignoring the looks the men surrounding the teen gave her. Sandor moved past the two, grabbing Tyrion from Sansa's arms. He gently patted her on the shoulder, making sure she knew how proud he was of her.

The spider stood where he was, watching the Hound pass off the small Goblin to Bronn who threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. His gaze shifted to the tall woman behind Sansa, looking her up and down.

" Brienne, I thought we had last seen each other a long time ago."

" You thought wrong ,Spider." The woman hissed causing Sansa took look up in alarm. Her eyes looked shocked at Brienne,noticing her hand was clutched around a sword that had once been part of the clutter on her back.

Varys held his hands up calmly, trying to pacify the suddenly angry woman. " I mean no harm. It's merely I had thought you had died along with your Lady's other friends. You hadn't shown up for the last two centuries and well when we found Brandon's body…" Sansa kept her eyes trained on Brienne watching her every reaction. Each word brought new pain to the woman's face. It caused Sansa to wonder how much Varys knew about the woman who was carrying trash only moments ago.

"Varys…" Sansa spoke up drawing the Spider and woman's attention back to her, " Did you know it was my mother?" Her eyes finally rose to met her friend's. He tried to hid his emotions but Sansa had become too well versed in reading people's faces since she entered the Labyrinth.

He sighed, looking at Sandor and Podrick who stood to the side watching the three interact. Bronn had left to try to find out where in the 'Bloody Dump' they were. " I did, My lady. Since he began watching you as a child."

He watched with dismay as her eyes hardened before him. He watched her go from Porcelain to Ivory to Steel right before his very eyes. He knew the next question would only hurt her but she would get the answers she wanted. It's what he owed her.

" Tell me everything."


	16. An Explination

Varys looked at Sansa, seeing the determination in her eyes. He had no choice.

" She was younger than you," He began , " Only a few years. Her sense of duty and right and wrong was much stronger than yours. " Varys tried to let out an easy laugh but it came out broken and nervous.

" She came here, wishing away her younger sister who was only a few years younger than her. Old enough to be aware of the world she found herself being transported to. It was back when any one, if they said the proper words, could wish a child away. They only had to invoke the fae and mean the words. She challenged Petyr too, wanting her sister back… he fell in love instantly. She was everything he wanted. Even the Labyrinth loved her" The spider smiled sadly, giving Sansa a knowing look. " He helped her, wanting her to win. He guided her, became her friend. Taught her how to care for his was undoubtedly his folly.

" Before he knew it she had the Labyrinth under her control. And she used it. She gained friends and allies, used them as well all for her gain. She fell in love and much to Petyr's disdain it wasn't with him. It was a human he kept to be part of his guard, Brandon. He helped her too, leaving Petyr's side. Catlyn, she turned everything against Petyr. Everything he killed for in the battle against Magic and Humans." At Sansa's questioning look, he actually did laugh. " Another story, My Lady. You saw some of it, if you remember." It seemed a lifetime ago, but Sansa nodded the screams and blood coming to the front of her mind.

" Petyr had orchestrated that war. He was nothing but a Fae with little power over time and reality. Then he took the kingdom of Magic after separating our worlds successfully. It was Eons ago but still his greatest power grab and success.

" But she took it all from him. Nothing was left for him except the sister she casted away. The girl had fallen in love with him, believing him to be a prince she always wanted. Your people do love your songs of princes and dashing knights." Varys looked from Sansa to Brienne, who still held her sword. " Most of you anyway."

"Petyr used your mother's sister against her to get back what he claimed was his. Gave her a time like he did you. She ignored it, thinking Petyr would never hurt her like that. How wrong she was… He turned her sister into a Goblin without a second thought." He stopped to see how Sansa reacted to the news of how cruel the king could be. She didn't even bat an eyelash, she gave nothing away on her steel mask. He smiled sadly again, she was learning from the King so well.

" You met her. I believe she tried to kill you." That did get a reaction. Her hand shot up covering her mouth before a gasp could escape. He hoped it was more from watching Petyr kill her relative and not the fact that said relative tried to kill her. It would be easier for her to see his cruelness if she cared more for family.

"Catlyn never forgave him, cursing his Labyrinth and him. She led a rebellion against him despite her failing to meet the rules. She was destined to lose but she refused my consul. She didn't like spies and hated spiders even more. " He gave a sad chuckle.

" She used his power against him, destroying the Labyrinth and almost killing him. His own guard ,Brandon, struck him down. To add salt to his wound she begged Brandon not to kill Petyr. She said he didn't deserve death, he was like a brother to her when she needed him. The two left him, wounded on his own throne room. He had no power, no labyrinth, no love.

"She stayed a year, a year he lay bleeding on the floor. It's harder to kill Magic without the proper weapons and Brandon was never given such power. He was alive the entire time, the pain still too much for him to bear. He had people helping him, making sure he knew what was going on beyond his throne room which became his very own cell.

"The year she stayed, she used his own magic to fix the parts of the Labyrinth. But she wasn't as forgiving. The Labyrinth fought against your mother the entire way, bleeding from wounds that Catlyn inflicted on her in her anger against Petyr." Varys tried his hardest to ignore the guilt and woe entering the teen's eyes. This isn't what he wanted. He wanted her to fight against Petyr not pity him.

"Finally your mother left, the Labyrinth fought against her too much. She killed Brandon and it was too much for Catlyn to handle. She left a broken Labyrinth and a bleeding King. It was a wondrous time for the people living here, you must realize. Petyr is cruel in his rulings, wanting to be feared instead of loved. We prospered being under no real rule but of the land."

" Then he gained the Labyrinth back. She trusted him again, and gave him back the power your mother stole using his own love for her. I admit your mother was cruel in that, but justified none the less. Imagine Rickon was turned into a Goblin, wouldn't you attack with all you had?" Varys asked when he saw the sorrow only grow in her eyes.

"No.." Sansa finally spoke, surprising both herself and the spider. " I… I wished him away. It's my fault he's here. I can't blame someone for doing something they were asked to do."

He smiled at Sansa. " You are a better person than most, my lady."

* * *

 _Not again._

Petyr sat on his throne, eyes closed , head resting against the back. The thought kept running through his head.

 _Not again_

He beat this one. She wasn't here to vex him. The Labyrinth still loved her hoping for her to fix her wounds but he could gain her back again. She'd trust him again like before.

 _Not again_

His hand rested on his chest, a phantom pain shooting through him. Did he think she'd do the same as her? She wasn't her, that much he found out. But would she hurt him? Both physically _and_ emotionally?

 _ **Not again**_

His eyes shot open, staring unseeing at the ceiling. He was prepared this time. Only she would be able to get close to him this time. No guard dog to slice him open and leave him. Just her and him.

And he wasn't letting her hurt him… not again.

* * *

A pained groan shook Varys and Sansa from the story.

"Tyrion!" Sansa rushed to the goblin, the spider standing still merely tilting his head. The goblin groaned again the second she touched him, her hands flying away at the noise.

"Where are we?" Sandor growled at Bronn, knowing he would only come back after finding out, Tyrion be damned.

" Right by the big fookin gates. The one's with all the guards in front of them. Couldn't magic us somewhere with less swords?" Varys ignored him , eyes never leaving Tyrion. He heard Sansa ask if he was alright only to get another pained groan in response.

Varys moved to the Goblin's side, hand moving within the folds of his silks to bear some of his weight. "Tyrion…" He whispered hoping the goblin would answer for him.

"Please…" Came the raspy answer, barely a whisper from his mouth, " Please tell me we're in complete darkness."

Teen and spider exchanged a glance, the sun was far above them beating down on them. "Tyrion?" Sansa questioned wondering what he meant.

"I can feel the heat.. please. Varys please tell me we're in darkness. A hot room where no one can see a thing!" Suddenly it clicked in Sansa's head, she stiffened realizing what his price was.

" I'm sorry, my friend" Was the spider's only reply ,confirming the small goblin's fear. He let out a choked sob, trying to keep it hidden from the group he couldn't see. He gave a weak smile, it looked distorted on his deformed face.

"Well, who needs eyes? I hear the blind get more women anyway."

" Hearing will be about the only thing you'll be doing, My friend." Sansa's mouth gaped at Varys' comment, his face holding his own sad smile. Tyrion just let out a genuine bout of laughter, a real smile falling on his scarred face.

" Varys remind me to make fun of you for being one person as soon as I can think clearly." The goblin asked, smile growing wider under his unseeing eyes.

The spider shifted, relieving Sansa of more of Tyrion's weight. " If it helps, I never made genitalia when I made this form out of well me. The labyrinth seemed to have decided this was how I wanted it." Sansa couldn't help the snort that came out, her hand clamping over her mouth in embarrassment as Sandor and Bronn lost it behind them. The goblin between the spider and her seemed to be thinking over his words, genuinely mulling it over.

" So it it just smooth or…?"

Varys rolled his eyes, tempted to throw the goblin at Bronn and make his sword carry him. It was worth it though to see Tyrion and Sansa both smiling out of joy.

Brienne made her way from where she had stood still since she came over to the group. She grabbed Tyrion, lifting him completely off the ground and cradling him like one would a child. To say the least it startled Tyrion, his hands flying to steady himself against the body who had taken it upon themselves to carry him.

"Why Sandor! I had no idea you had breasts!" Sansa snorted again, The hound growling so the goblin could figure out it wasn't him. With a few more blind pats, Tyrion looked in the direction of Sansa's snort, " My lady, Please tell me we made a new friend recently."

She nodded before blushing and answering out loud, " Yes."

Though she wasn't entirely sure she could classify the large woman as a friend. She had only just met her and caused her to free herself from some memory that was playing itself over and over. " Her name is Brienne. She's going to…" She paused, what was Brienne going to do?

"I'm going to help lady Sansa. To repay her mother." Sandor rose an eyebrow at the comment and all Sansa could do was shrug her shoulders. She had no idea what the woman had to repay but they could do with a pair of strong hands. Especially from what Bronn said about the closest entrance to the Goblin City. If she could carry Tyrion through the perilous landscape of bones and garbage that would helpful too. They didn't need him tripping and hurting himself more.

Tyrion accepted the woman's answer, nodding his head in thought. " I imagine she's eternally grateful." He added sagely, Sansa recognizing the sarcasm and having to fight down the snort making it's way up her throat.

" We really should get going" Bronn called to the group. He stood on top of a large pile of bones, his face turned to look at something that the group couldn't see. " Seems the girl's kingly friend is preparing for us."

Sansa looked from Sandor to Varys. Her closest friends in the group of rebels looking just as confused as her. She got up, now free of Tyrion's weight to climb the small hill, trying to not think of whose bones she was stepping on. Her hands scrambled to the top finally reaching open air. She pulled herself up, Bronn helping a little so she could see what he was so worried about.

From the top she could see everything over the walls of the city. The little scattered homes to the castle looming over them like a giant. It had it's own sort of beauty that entranced her. She could watch the city move like a well oiled machine for hours if they didn't have more pressing matters.

Sansa looked at Bronn, an uneasy expression flitting across his face. He pointed to the closest gate, and by far the biggest she had ever seen. There were more goblins running around it, looking like ants attacking food. She squinted unable to see what they were doing from this far away.

" They're fixing it." Bronn answered, hooking his thumbs in his belt. " Big ass robot in these here walls seems to have rusted a bit." The man looked around him then back at the gate. " We don't leave soon they'll finish and The King'll be the last thing we're gonna worry about."

Sansa stared at Bronn then the rest of her friends. They all looked up at her, waiting for her decision. It dawned on her she might very well be leading these creatures to their deaths, she already cost them too much. Her eyes danced between all five below her, wondering if she could let any of them die for her own mistake.

She looked over the other side of the hill of bones, the goblins ever moving. The sounds of the city were distant but loud enough for her to make out whirring machines and metal hitting metal.

"Lets go"


	17. Preparing For War

A large clock hung over the gate, the two hands dangerously close to the unusual 13th number at the top. Sansa glared at it, willing time to stop despite all knowledge it wouldn't. Petyr put it there knowing she'd see it. He was mocking her, reminding her of all the time he stole.

She ignored the comforting hand on her shoulder, shrugging Varys off. Him and Sandor shared a look, she just knew it. She could feel them silently talking despite not liking each other hours ago. She'd be mad if it wasn't her well being that brought them so close together. She needed to get to the city, not be comforted.

"Sansa" The tone almost made her more angry then she was. Sandor's voice shouldn't hold such gentleness. He was supposed to be the angry one, the one who went in fists up, punching the first person who tried to question him. So she ignored him, continuing her way to their only entrance.

Brienne walked next to her, her large arms still wrapped around Tyrion. It was easier for everyone if she carried him, everyone else needing both their arms. They didn't doubt she could take out a few goblins with only one arm available, maybe even none. She was the only one that hadn't tried to comfort Sansa yet, staying a silent sentinel. The teen appreciated that, her mind on finishing the game Petyr and her started.

Tyrion sat in the large woman's arms, his blind eyes glazed over and staring at Sansa unseeing. She wondered how he followed her so carefully but knew someone always made a noise loud enough trying to draw her attention. The small goblin was smart enough to figure out where she was. Still it was almost unnerving the way he stared at her. She almost wished he'd just close his eyes but knew it'd be rude to mention it or ask it of him. Every so often he'd ask quietly how close they were, calculating their distance and time it would take to get to the main castle.

Time which was running short. Time she need to get past the goblins. Time she need to find her brother.

Sansa sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry how it wasn't fair. But she couldn't, it wasn't about her. It never was. Rickon didn't ask for this, he was forced into it like Lysa had. She briefly wondered whether he would become like Lysa if he became a goblin but shook the thought. She couldn't think about her baby brother being turned into such a creature otherwise she might actually breakdown. Then he'd have no one.

Bronn whistled appreciatively, the walls towering above them now, casting them into its shadows, Sansa had to appreciate the wonder that was the cities wall as well. She could tell from this distance that the wall was made of different sized blocks, sometimes she wasn't even sure it was stone making up parts of it. Still it held, looking like it could take armies after armies. The top was straight despite the different sized materials and some goblins ran across it, trying to work on the top of the gate.

"How do we get in?" It was the first words she had said since seeing the clock. The Spider and Hound jumped on this, glad she was finally talking again.

" We could kill our way through." Sandor offered.

Varys scoffed, Sans could imagine him rolling his eyes. " Always with the brute strength. I doubt they know who you are, few goblins are aware of the Cities… politics…" He said the word with trepidation, glancing back at the teen. " You found the lucky few who knew and cared. " Sansa turned her head to look at Tyrion, his eyes still looking at her.

"Would that work?"

Brienne shifted, jostling the goblin. "It's a big risk, Sansa."

" But will it work?"

"For a bit." Sandor cut in. " Until it fucking doesn't. Why else would a little girl, several humans who were spared being changed, and a blind fucked up goblin need to get in the city? They may be dumb as they are ugly but even they can tell when something's up."

"Sandor, really, are you one for attacking how someone looks?" Tyrion quipped to the burned man, a smirk breaking across his face.

Sansa reached her arm out, lightly placing it on the hound before he moved to punch the blind goblin. It wouldn't do for them to be fighting amongst themselves.

"We're seeking asylum." She finally said, her voice devoid of emotion. " The challenger attacked Tyrion. Wounded him with stolen magic and we're seeking audience with the Goblin King." She turned to look at Varys, his eyebrows hiked in surprise.

"That.." He paused, thinking it over, " That could very well work, my lady. They would take us directly to the castle…"

"And pass all these ugly fuckers," Bronn added

Podrick seemed to be the only person in the group unsure of the plan, but one look from Sansa and he kept quiet. It was a group decision. He just didn't want to go into the city at all.

The teen walked up with purpose to the goblin workers, some stopping their hurried movements to watch her. The loud whirring machines dulled to a dim roar, most of the worker's attention now on the approaching girl. Her group walked faster to catch up as she began running to the workers.

" Let us in!" She yelled, fear seeping into her voice. To Varys she sounded almost hysterical. A few nearby goblins jumped at her loud voice. She looked quickly between a few, her voice raising an octave, " Please!"

"w-we can't" Some goblin holding a ridiculously large gear said. Sansa's head whipped in his direction, Varys could now see her eyes, they were wide tears flowing down her face. Now he realized why the goblins had stopped working.

" He's hurt!" Her arms waved back to Brienne who look startled at being pointed at with such emotion, she clutched Tyrion closer causing the goblin to groan in pain at being squeezed too much. To the workers it looked like he was severely injured.

The gear goblin's eyes grew comically wide, almost dropping the gear he held. " What happened?" He squeaked out, the others staring silently.

" We don't know! I.. I think- I don't know we were searching the moon, our lysa had disappeared and…" Sansa faked a sob, causing even sandor to look at her wildly. When had she gotten so good at acting? The gear goblin looked around unsure what to do when confronted with a crying girl. He looked at several other goblins all of them shrugging in response.

Sansa seemed to collect herself, the sobbing reducing to quiet sniffling. " She attacked us out of nowhere… we were just trying to find Lysa. I don't know what she did b-but she blinded my friend. We came to the only place we knew would save us." She looked up, her bright blue eyes catching several goblins' eyes. They shuffled uncomfortably, not used to being under such scrutiny. "Please.." She whispered, her voice cracking.

With her voice, the gear goblin cracked as well. He put down the piece of machinery, walking towards Sansa and patting her arm gently. He looked behind her to Tyrion waving the six over.

"C-come on. I-I-I'll let you in." The goblin looked around him, the other goblin's nodding in agreement which seemed to steel the goblin's resolve. He quickly turned around, moving forward before looking behind him to make sure they were following. Varys stepped towards Sansa, resting a hand on her shoulder. Instead of shrugging him off again, she leaned into the touch.

The group slowly followed the goblin, Sansa every so often sneaking a look at the clock looming above them. Five minutes. She wasted five minutes convincing the worker. She silently cursed herself for not working faster.

As the got closer, the group seemed to tense. Sandor,Brienne and Bronn all kept a hand resting on swords at their sides. Varys kept close to Sansa, refusing to let her out of arm's length. Tyrion merely curled into Brienne, figuring if he looked weaker it would work for them. Podrick followed last, his eyes jumping to everything that made noise, even jumping once the machines began whirring again.

The second they passed under the archway it was like a collective breath of relief was released. The goblin merely pointed to the castle in front of them, " Go there! The king will want to know!" With that he scurried away, disappearing amongst the other workers preparing for the people who were already within the city walls.

Sansa straightened herself, looking nothing like the girl who was sobbing seconds ago. Sandor stared at her in amazement while Varys stared at her in suspicion.

" _Where_ did you learn that?" Tyrion was the one who asked, a grin across his face.

She looked back at him, no emotion on her face. " Lying?" She looked over at the castle a flicker of sadness passing over her eyes. "She taught me to. Had to live somehow." Her friends stayed silent all viewing her with ,mixed emotions. She seemed to ignore them, continuing to walk in the direction of the castle.

" Sansa Stark, You may survive us yet." the small goblin whispered drawing a curious glance from the woman holding him. He ignored the shifting, hoping they'd get to Petyr soon so their little coup could be done with.

* * *

The king grinned down from the window, watching the small group make their way to his castle. Did they really think they could get past without his knowledge? Of course he hadn't counted on her being so brilliant about it.

No, he needed them in the city but he didn't need them to know that. It would ruin everything. His eyes grazed over Sansa, her face more blank than he ever remembered seeing it. He hoped his Labyrinth wasn't too taxing on the girl. He did want to see her smile again once she went back home.

His gaze shifted from the red head to the bald man standing beside her, his concern palpable even from Petyr's distance. His eyes narrowed, wondering what the spider's end game for this little adventure was. The king honestly couldn't tell if he really cared for the child or was using her for gain. Petyr could curse the damned spider for being one of the few people able to contend with him.

Petyr let his gaze wander again, falling on the small goblin and the large woman. The sight could have made him laugh, the once proud warrior reduced to carrying the goblin like a mother would a babe. The goblin was obviously uncomfortable with Brienne, well obvious to everyone but the woman. She seemed to ignore everything from her charge, from the words out of his mouth to his incessant wriggling. The warrior's eyes stayed trained on his challenger, never wavering as if she was everything the woman held dear. It would have annoyed the king greatly if he knew her eyes held none of the affection he showed Sansa, instead more of a mother's protection, through the large woman had no children of her own.

The king quickly shifted through the other members of the group, two humans he knew nothing about but seemed comfortable with the small goblin in Brienne's arms, and….his eyes stopped to full blown glare at the Hound. Sandor existed to serve him. He spared the human when he was but a child and this was how he repaid him. He should have never taken him from his brother but he felt pity for the clearly abused child. Even being a Goblin was better than being shoved into a fire.

With a huff of mild annoyance, Petyr turned away from the window, missing Sansa's eyes finding him even as he stood on the tower balcony. His feathered cape billowed around him as he returned into the tower, he'd have to prepare for her coming. The baby would need to disappear till time ran out. With a glance at a nearby clock that suddenly appeared, he saw he only had twenty minutes till his allotted time to Sansa ran out. Perfect.

With a wave of his hand, Petyr motioned the clock away. With a few more steps the king reached Rickon, picking the child up and swinging him around. The baby's giggles filled the room, briefly filling his heart with warmth. Cooing nonsensical words to the brown haired babe, Petyr walked through a doorway, the baby's smile never wavering till the two began walking into shadows.

The smile turned into curiosity, the large pudgy head turning in Petyr's arms to see something only his underdeveloped brain could understand. Slowly the curious expression turned to one of fear, cries ringing out. The corridor the two walked down echoed the cries back, the shadows and the king uncaring to the noise.

Petyr had stopped his cooing, looking up into the upcoming room he was walking to. He needed to keep the child in this room. Sansa despite her clear intelligence would never be able to find him here. With a guilt free mind, Petyr put Rickon down on the ground, the cries becoming louder at the loss of human contact. With swift movements, the king turned around, waving his hand to close the door behind him cutting off the baby's cries from his uncaring ears.


	18. Secrets

Sansa looked away the second the King returned into his castle, seeming to not see them. She had to hope they had surprise on their side. Nothing was going to work otherwise. She looked to Varys, his own eyes staring straight ahead at the castle.

"Varys," Sansa called softly, his attention on her in an instant. " Are there any secret ways into the castle?" By the grin breaking across the spider's she had to assume that was a yes and he was well versed in them.

"I thought you'd never ask." He grabbed her by the crook of her elbow, pulling her off down a side road away from the castle. The rest of their friends almost stopped in shock at the swift movements but quickly followed them down the new road.

"Is this quicker than going through the front?" Tyrion called behind her, his voice much bigger then his body. Varys in front of Sansa merely nodded, his legs ever moving as he pulled her down another ever winding side road among the many goblin homes. She heard Bronn curse at Varys for the lack of warning as they dutifully followed.

Soon they came upon a dead end, a dirt wall built up in front of them. Sansa glanced at it warily, her last encounter to dead ends not ending well. Varys, ever silent, drew a small symbol into the dirt with his finger. She leaned closer, trying to see what he was doing, feeling everyone else finally catching up and doing the same. The spider stepped back, admiring his work and smiling slyly at Sansa.

It was a wolf, Sansa realized. It was only it's head but the depiction was easy enough to recognize once done. The teen looked back at Varys who nudged with her head to look back at the wall. With a mild huff of annoyance she looked back and nearly gasped. The dirt drawing reared it's head, forming a 3-D wolf that glared at them. The growl it emitted, loosened some of the dirt making up its head, the fine dirt falling to the ground underneath it.

Varys held out his hand before pulling it back quickly when the dirt teeth almost closed upon him. He returned it's glare, rubbing the hand he nearly lost. Sansa couldn't help the giggle making it's way through her as she heard Sandor behind her groan. The wolf darted it's head to look at the teen and man. Sansa shrugged of the Hound's protective hand that came up to her shoulder. She began walking closer to the dirt wolf. The wolf looked at her, appraising her before lowering it's head for her to pet it. The dirt moved below her fingers as the wolf nudged into her hand, appreciating her touch. Another giggle broke from her as she scratched under it's chin, some dirt falling loose.

Varys seemed a bit affronted by the wolf, " Usually he likes me."

"Clearly" Tyrion drawled

Sansa ignored them both, continuing to pet the wolf. When she went to scratch behind his ear, he moved backwards returning back into the drawing he came from. The second his nose went back into the crude dirt drawing , the wall began moving into the ground. Sansa jumped back, Sandor pulling her back with him.

When the wall stopped moving, the group was shown a simple doorway. Sansa pushed off of Sandor's chest stepping closer to the door. She looked behind her, Podrick's scared expression the first thing she caught. She supposed she should be scared too but she couldn't muster the feeling. Plus Varys just nodded her to go forward, his normally cool expression back on his face.

With little hesitation, the teen moved to the door again, gripping the iron knob. The door pulled open with ease, a gust of wind the only thing greeting the girl from the other side. Sansa peered into the darkness trying to gauge where it lead. Unable to determine, but trusting Varys enough, the girl took a step into the darkness, hoping her friends were right behind her the entire time.

* * *

Petyr had to stop the shiver that ran down his spine, almost making him drop the coin he played with waiting for his challenger.

He glared at the coin, putting it into one of his pockets. Damned thing wasn't going to help him anyway. Not until she left. Or accepted him. He nearly laughed at the notion, her accepting him. Her ruling by his side. Her leaving everything she knew.

The king ran a hand through his hair, somehow not messing up a single strand on his way./ This girl will be the death of me/, he thought. /Better now than never/

Quickly he moved, knowing almost instantly which door Varys would take her through. He was woefully predictable in that way. With a grin he had to wonder if his spider thought the same of him

* * *

"Sandor!"

Sansa's voice rang out throughout the dark, none of them able to see where the voice came from. All the Hound knew was that it was in front of him and she was calling him. He almost ran forward till he felt her small hand press on his chest warning him not to move forward another step.

His eyes searched the dark , seeing her form break through slightly . His eyes made her out slowly, her body darker than the dirt walls surrounding them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell." He could almost feel her blush, her embarrassment over something. " I knew you came in after me and look!" He heard the sound of a closed fist on wood. His own face stretched into a grin.

" Good job, Little bird." He heard himself praise, waiting for her to open it. When she didn't he looked down quizzically before remembering she couldn't see him that well either. "Well come on, we don't have all day!"

Her hand moved from his chest, Sandor now no longer sure where she held it. Her head bobbed downwards her next words muffled. " I… I can't. It won't let me through.."

"It tell you that?" He couldn't help the sarcastic quip, but she needed to save her brother not chat all day.

Behind him by a few people Varys piped up, " Ah yes, sorry, my lady." The Hound and the teen waited as they heard the Spider try to squeeze past Brienne, Tyrion and Bronn. Finally getting to Sandor, he couldn't help but growl almost sensing the bald man rolling his eyes at him. Varys shuffled past him, Sandor pressing against the wall so he didn't have to brush against him.

Sansa rolled her eyes at Sandor, thankful Varys got to her quick enough. "Come on, Varys" She told him, a little annoyed though that he didn't go first if he knew about this door. She could only hear his silk move against each other then a hand press against the wood that wouldn't move. With a series of knocks that no one could possibly remember easily.

Sansa almost thought it didn't work when the knocks were met with silence. She looked to where she thought Varys stood, about to tell him off for wasting their time. Before she could even open her mouth she was blinded by sudden bright light entering the small passageway she and her friends entered. Blocking her vision with her arm, Sansa turned away slightly looking behind her to see most of the group doing the same. All except for Varys of course, who stood looking into the light smiling. He turned to Sansa, bowing as much as he could in the small space, beckoning her to go forward again.

The teen moved past him, rolling her eyes but smiling at him. Sandor moved past him as well before Varys could move in front of him. The spider only copied the teen's movements, knowing the Hound only wanted to show he still was terrifying. Even if no one in present company saw him as such.

"Varys I could kiss you."

"As lovely as that may be, my lady, It would go most unappreciated by me. Not one for romance." Sansa just grinned at him, her mask not even able to hide it all that well. Tyrion just sighed at the open room in front of them,glad to be out of the small hallway, Brienne's steps faltering slightly. Bronn gave an appreciative gaze while Podrick followed Tyrion's own movements before turning into shock and fear. The Hound only looked at Sansa waiting for their next decision, but even he was shocked where they were.

The throne of The Goblin King stood before them, twisting and mangled but still very clearly a throne. Sansa almost wished Petyr was sitting in the monstrosity but knew he was going to continue the game for as long as possible. Being where he was expected would ruin everything.

"But… we went downwards…" Brienne started, her face twisted in confusion. The spider just gave her a look that told her to not question the Labyrinth. The large woman didn't seem to like the answer much, her face moving to a grimace.

The teen ignored them, eyes scanning over the throne room for some clue where the king was, where Rickon was. Her eyes landed on a hallway leading into darkness, not a single ray of light puncturing the inky black. The shadows seemed to being staring back at her, the idea not even the strangest thing Sansa had seen that day. Her eyes flickered back to a clock hanging above the empty throne, fifteen minutes left till she lost her brother forever.

Tyrion and brienne were by her side instantly, the small goblin's hand finding hers despite his lack of a sense. Sansa squeezed his hand, her blue orbs now back on the dark hallway. She imagined if the goblin could see it he would caution her to not go in, she wondered if he could just feel the unease rolling off the shadows.

Varys came to her other side, his eyes also on the hallway. Without words he managed to convey that they needed to go down it. It was the only place Petyr would have taken Rickon. Sansa had a thought that maybe he wouldn't be so cruel but knew otherwise. The king didn't like losing, he played to win no matter the cost.

"He'll be expecting us." Was all the spider said, knowing it got everything across. Petyr knew too much. He knew them. He knew every move they'd try to make. So do the unexpected.

The unexpected…

Before her first friend could reach her, she spun around pulling Sandor into a tight hug. Like the first time she hugged him , he was shocked, his hands unaware of where to go. She just squeezed, her arms closing tight around him as her eyes did the same. She almost felt safe against his chest, his heat reminding her painfully of home.

Slowly Sansa pulled away, looking up at the hound. His eyes showed his confusion well enough, but she tried to ignore them and focus on the spark of happiness she found instead.

"I have to do this alone."

Before any of them could question her she ran off into the hall, the darkness swallowing her despite her friends' protests for their help. She continued running, knowing the labyrinth would seal them off from her. The labyrinth wanted this confrontation of power as much as Sansa did and her friends would only help her.

No, Petyr and her's game of will was just that, Petyr and hers.

So should their ending.

* * *

He heard her steps before he saw her. Her small feet were pounding against the floor, echoing against the stone walls making her seem more like a hundred men then one girl.

He thought she would have come with her makeshift rebellion, not on her own into the unknown. Perhaps she was stronger than he initially thought. He ignored the swell of pride rising in his chest as he felt her pass him, his presence made completely unaware to her. As her feet continued their path, he moved within the shadows alongside her, moving slowly behind her, despite knowing she wouldn't be able to see him anyway. The shadows ate away any light that tried to break through, they made sure of that. His crows never did appreciate light much.

He was close to her. He could just reach out a hand, scooping up her fiery hair in a single movement but he refrained himself. It wasn't like he could appreciate their beauty in the dark anyway.

A distant crowing drew him out of his urges, causing a grimace to break across his face. In the shadows no one needed a mask for no one could see. Here was the only place he let it slip, mostly out of respect for his creatures of his walls.

The king stopped moving behind her, knowing she would come to a door soon. He heard her own steps slow to a halt, her hand pressing against the wood of the only barrier she came upon.

 _Turn around_ He yelled in his mind to her, _live your life away from here!_. He knew she wouldn't hear him nor know of the dangers ahead but the disappointment stabbed him still as he heard the loud creaking of the wood door. Only more darkness greeted the silent observer and the challenger of his Labyrinth.

The child's cries started the second the door stopped moving. Petyr heard the teen gasp, rushing forward to try to follow her brother's voice. She paid no attention to the flutter of dark wings above her, not like she would have been able to make them out regardless. The sound of feathers unnerved the King thoroughly, more than the babe's incessant cries.

A crow's caw caused a shiver to run down the King's spine. He was doing what he had to. He knew it. Varys knew it. The Labyrinth knew it.

But would she know it?


	19. The Words

"I am going to kill that bastard girl!"

The hound's fists pounded against the stone that separated him from Sansa. The stone shook, dust falling from the ceiling but otherwise remaining unresponsive to cold glare it received. The spider starred in a confused daze, blankly staring at the wall that had moved the second their hero moved. He hadn't expected the girl to make such a bold move. He was used to her quiet courtesies and even quieter moves. He should have seen it after her act in front of the city but it was so hard to believe her of anything.

Sandor whirled on him, stirring the bald man out of his quiet thoughts. His eyes were accusing like the spider had planned this with his little bird. Varys just coolly looked back, challenging him to voice himself. The hound just looked away, fist slamming on the wall again.

"I was supposed to protect her…" Brienne stepped forward, uncertainty lifting her hand from around Tyrion before putting it back down. Sandor barely gave her a side glance, walking around the room and growling. He didn't want to hear the wench's woes about not protecting another person.

"There has to be another way!" Bronn looked at Varys at the shout, and Varys shook his head mutely. There was no other way to where Sansa was going. He wasn't about to tell Sandor though.

The blind dwarf spoke first, saving the spider from the hound's wrath. "Hound, you heard her as well as I. She must do this alone. All we can do is support the girl." Tyrion sighed, moving to look where he lasts heard the giant human. He was a few feet off but Sandor got the message. " All we can do is be here when she needs us."

The Hound grunted, a noise of annoyance and final acceptance. He sent a final cold glare to the wall, before throwing himself down onto the stone of the throne room. He leaned against the wall facing the once hallway. He would be prepared the second his little bird needed him.

* * *

Sansa kept running, she heard him. She heard her little baby brother crying. It wasn't his usual cry for food or attention, it was chilling and filled with fear no child should ever know.

As she ran in the inky black of the wide open room, she felt something brush against her face. The teen almost fell ,the shock of the touch nearly making her stop in her search. She wiped the cheek the thing brushed against, the skin feeling colder than the rest of her.

Rickon's cry began again, causing Sansa to forgot the creature in the dark. She listen carefully before going to the right of her current position. The cry echoed against the walls that must have filled the room but Sansa never encountered, she moved towards where the cries were louder.

Again something brushed against her, this time on her arm. A chill ran up her arm before settling deep into her stomach. Suddenly she realized how terrifying the unwavering darkness that surrounded her was. Her brother's cries fell to the overwhelming silence, leaving Sansa frozen in fear.

The silence broke with a flutter of what sounded like wings to her left. Her body spun to face the noise, her eyes darting around to see what she knew she couldn't. Her body shook with fear she was trying to hid. She hoped whatever was in the darkness couldn't see just like her.

Her leg this time. She jumped away from the touch, tripping over herself. Her leg felt almost numb it was so cold. Her breath came out in short bursts, adrenaline and fear clouding her mind and

causing her to act on instinct.

She knew her words did nothing against the dark, her arms came to wrap around herself, her hand briefly touching the cold spot of her skin where she was touched a second time.

"Who are you?" She called into the dark, hoping maybe she could convince the creature to help her like she did Sandor.

The thick darkness never responded, the very air seeming to press on the girl. Slowly she began moving again, her ears now straining for any and all sounds.

/'Where did he put my brother?'/ Sansa couldn't help wonder, now thinking maybe running in alone with no idea where exactly she was going. But if the light wasn't what it seemed, why should the dark? The dark is where she found Varys, her tiny spider friend helping her the entire way. The dark was where Sandor found her after those twin birds tricked her. So the dark here must be where something that will help her lives.

Try as she might though, her mind worked against her, conjuring fearsome beasts and boogeymen who would grab her at any moment.

A flutter sounded in front of her, the noise as loud as gunshots after the silence. The teen reeled back startled and landed hard onto the cold ground. Her hands caught her but not without injury. With a hiss she clutched her wrist, the warmth that indicated injury rushing to the spot.

"Child, shhhh!" The thing that flew in front of her hissed out, it's voice clearly tainted with fear of it's own. Sansa didn't know how to take that, the thing that scared her being terrified.

There was a flash causing her to shield her eyes momentarily after no light for so long. She adjusted quickly enough, noticing the light came from a torch clutched in a clawed hands. Her eyes followed the arm, dark feathers sprouting in clusters around the wrist and elbows. The shoulder ended in more black feathers, it's chest covered in the thing. It's feet were as clawed as it's hands, bent back slightly and tough looking like a birds feet. Slowly she looked up to it's face not sure what to expect. It's face was pale like her's, a human face surrounded by dark feathers. It's face was plump, the cheeks red like Ser Dontos' had been. His chin held some human hair, sparsely covering what could be called a beard. His dark eyes darted nervously from her to the darkness behind her. Covering the flame slightly so it wouldn't go out were large wings, almost as dark as the blackness that had once surrounded her.

"Come!" He urged her forward with his other hand, the one holding the torch moving forward as if to point which way to go. " Before he notices!"

Sansa followed unsure who "he" was but decided that whatever scared the creature was a worse fate.

The bird like creature ran behind her huffing with every step as she rushed forward just on the edge of light the torch provided. She could hear him look back every so often though she wished she knew what he was looking for.

She skirted to a stop, something rising from the floor in front of her. The creature behind her ran into her, a yelp escaping his mouth as he dropped the torch he carried. The two watched as their only source of light rolled away from them and towards the thing that rose from the floor. From the whimpering gasp the bird creature gave what stood before them was the very thing he was trying to avoid.

Sansa in turn glared as the light illuminated the figure. He stood smugly smiling at Sansa, as if they merely met on a stroll.

"Where is Rickon?" She demanded, feeling the creature behind her flinch at her cold tone. Petyr ignored her, looking behind her to the bird like creature.

"Samwell, I honestly would have thought you'd be the last of the crows to betray me."

Samwell flinched again and Sansa moved in front of him, refusing to allow Petyr to harm the creature. He may have been a coward about it but the bird was trying to take her to Rickon… she hoped.

The king finally looked back at Sansa and noticed something one her arm. Before she could pull away he gripped her arm, maneuvering it so he could see the spot that was still cold to the touch. She hissed in annoyance as he poked at the spot before glaring back at Sam. " Did he do this?" he growled, the sound deep and more menacing than she ever knew him to be. With a mute shake of her head he sighed, leaning forward to press a light kiss on the cold flesh.

The second his hold loosened on his arm she yanked it back, clutching the appendage close to her as if afraid he'd grab at her again.

"Where is Ricky?" She asked again, a little more gentle than before, still slightly afraid the anger he showed towards Sam would be directed her way. She kept forgetting no matter how nice he acted towards her he was still a ruthless monster who ruled the Labyrinth. The screams of a lion filled her ears again though she knew it was merely a repeated memory only she could hear.

" I can't give him to you."

" I made it to the Castle beyond the Golgin City."

"And I congratulate you. He is still mine."

Sansa stared at him, hoping for some show he was lying, some movement on his face that showed everything she had been through wasn't for nothing.

Petyr waved his hand and the fearful noise behind her she grew used to dissapeared, The Darkness that had surrounded them disappeared as well. They were in a bedroom.

Sansa stood by a bed, Petyr holding Rickon in his lap sitting down at a desk on the other side of the chambers. He looked up at her, the pain in his eyes as the clock above him ticked slowly to the 13.

"There's still time." He noted as he watched her glance at the clock to the babe in his arms.

"Give me him, Petyr."

"Be careful Sansa, I have been generous up until now. I can be cruel."

A lions scream of agony.

" I know." She answered, walking away from the bed, closer to the King and her little brother.

" I have been everything you wanted and more. You wanted him gone, he was gone!" Petyr stood, placing Rickon into a crib next to him that she didn't even realize was there. Maybe it hadn't until he needed it.

" You wanted a villain to your hero journey, I provided." He continued, turning towards her, his face pleading for her to understand. " You wanted a cruel King to show your friends they were right. I did what I could. You needed to be saved and I personally came! What more must I do for you? What more must I show I will do?"

Sansa stood silently watching him, wondering what he wanted her to say exactly. ZHe moved towards her, his arms open wide as if expecting an embrace from her. " I reordered time for you, my sweetling. I don't do all of this for a child! I do this for a queen!"

There it was. What he wanted from her.

Finally she spoke, " Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the Castle beyond the Goblin City." His face fell before quickly being replaced with the cold mask she had gotten so used to seeing on him. " My will is as strong as yours and my -"

He reached her again, pulling her close to him. She tried to ignore the heat radiating off of him and how safe he made her feel after everything she had been through in only a few short hours. She tried not to lean into his touch. " Please, Sansa. Please see what I am offering to you. I am offering you myself, all I can give to someone." He pleaded.

Sansa stood still in his grip before resolving herself. " And my kingdom as great" She pressed herself into his embrace, feeling him pull her tighter against him.

"I ask for so little, my sweetling. Just let me rule you and you can have everything you ever need. Everything you ever want!"

She pressed her eyes closed, hoping maybe if she couldn't see him it'd be easier. "My kingdom is great…" She faltered, she could feel him smiling against her in response.

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave!"

Sansa pulled away, looking Petyr in the eyes. He was smiling as if he won, but his eyes showed the pain knowing she could easily saying the phrase, easily win against him.

But… she couldn't.

She feared him, she loved him.

She couldn't do this to him.

"You have no power over me."

 **Alright, there are two more chapters left but each is an ending. I couldn't decide which I liked better so you guys get two endings for the price of one!**

 **I'll post them both tomorrow.**


	20. Ending 1: The Rulers

The look he gave her before he shut his eyes to brace himself could have killed her. The stab it sent through her heart was too much to bear as he waited for his very world to crash around him.

Sansa let him go, walking softly to the crib her brother occupied. Rickon looked up as she approached, cooing softly at the familiar face. She gave the child a smile back, gently caressing his face before pulling away.

She looked over her shoulder watching Petyr stand still, nothing being given away. He was preparing himself for her departure. Even now he presumed to know what she was going to do.

Gently she picked Rickon up, cradling him close to her. Sansa placed a small kiss on his forehead before whispering, " I wish you were safe at home."

His eyes shot open, shock bleeding through the cracks of his mask. He watched as Rickon disappeared from her hands safely reappearing back in their parents room.

"Sansa…" He spoke her name is if it was a prayer. A prayer for this to not be a trick.

"Petyr, I learned a lot these few hours… I learned not everything was what it seemed. I learned even spiders can lead the way, that hounds are the most protective of creatures, that the dark can hold as much good as it can bad. I… I also learned fairytales are lies. There are no heros, no princesses that dashing knights come to rescue at all costs. No happy ending for everyone. No one deserves what they get or gets what they deserve." She paused, looking out the window at the sprawling landscape that was the Labyrinth. " But I did learn your labyrinth was alive. It is beautiful and full of life in ways I could never imagine. She is everything I could have hoped for and more. And for some reason she thinks the same of me, I can feel it." Sansa looked back at the Goblin King, he seemed more curious than angry like she thought he would be.

" Your labyrinth wants me in control."

He laughed, he actually laughed. She stared at him , slightly terrified at the fact that he just burst out laughing. Cautiously she took a few steps forward as he fell onto the the bed Sansa was standing by when she first landed in the room.

"P-petyr?"

His laughing quieted slightly now becoming more similar to a child giggling at a hilarious joke. She took another step closer, close enough to touch him. Before she could reach out to shake him from his fit, he grabbed her, pulling her onto the bed with a thump. Still giggling he rolled over with her so she lay on her back with him leaning over her from the side.

"Oh my sweetling, she is not the only one."

Sansa's mouth opened and closed a few times before she opted just to keep it shut to see if he'd explain a bit.

"I was never meant for ruling ,my dear. I was meant for being behind the scenes. I don't have your beauty or graces. I am unassuming, not something royalty should have."

"But… your kingdom…" She stuttered, completely sidelined with the fact of how easy he was giving away everything he had fought for.

He only smiled slyly like he had something up his sleeve. " Well,my sweet, I'd still have it of course if you would be my queen."

"Your queen?" She squeaked despite him telling her this only moments before she said her part of their game. Still the thought shocked her.

"Yes, I think you being my Queen of Love and Beauty would work very well. And I'm going to assume you are alright with this being you are still here."

Sansa looked at the Goblin King in what felt like hours. Truly looked at his face for any sign of dishonesty. She found stress over a crumbling labyrinth, fear of being rejected by both her and his very home, and pain. Pain she didn't cause but nonetheless he held her to and fully expected for her to repeat. But not lies.,

"Of course."

Petyr smiled, more kind this time as his mask fell in her presence. " I may have no power over you but you control me too easily."

* * *

The wall opened.

There were seconds left before Sansa's time ran out to get Rickon. They were given seconds to try to find her, her brother and the king they needed to usurp.

It took them two minutes to find her.

Sandor almost punched through a wall when their precious seconds ran out. Varus grew paler as he realized their world still stood. Brienne almost dropped Tyrion to run faster but the goblin was having none of that.

When they finally found her almost all of them cursed out loud. Sandor was among the quiet few, opting to run ahead to bash in Petyr's skull.

She was standing with him, no against him. His slimy arms were wrapped around her waist keeping her to him. The pervert had dressed her up, an elegant ball gown gracing her form.

The rage he felt at seeing the King even look at her seemed to pale in comparison as he hit a wall, unseen but blocking him from reaching them

"Sansa!" He screamed banging on the invisible wall.

She seemed startled, not realizing they had got there till the hound screamed her name. He watched as a smile bloomed across her face. She pushed herself off the king, waving a hand causing Sandor to fall forward as the blockage disappeared.

"Sansa?" It was the spider who spoke first forgetting his usually lady title before her name.

The smile never left her face as she ran to them, launching herself into Sandor's arms. He gripped her tight, almost refusing to let her go. Even as she pulled herself off him, he kept a hand on her.

As she let him go she turned to hug Varys. For a second the spider seemed unsure of what to do before he wrapped his arms around her.

She pulled off him soon as well standing before her friends with Petyr behind her.

"He's safe" she told them.

Varys nodded and Brienne had to question "If he's safe, what about you?"

Her smile faltered for a second. She looked behind her to the king before looking back at them.

"I'm the queen."

He couldn't have been more proud and overjoyed at the glares and looks of dismay her announcement received. With a grin Petyr thought that this might be forever ingrained in his mind.

The hound was the first to speak everyone else completely floored. "What..."

He watched her straighten herself up, preparing herself for the inevitable.

"I am Queen." she repeated. "I can't go back home after all I've seen and done. I'd never be able to fit back in." She took a step backwards bringing herself closer to him. He couldn't help the smile as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'd never be the same… but here. Here I can be who I want. What I want. I can make it a better place!" She was pleading for them to understand. Petyr couldn't help the thought running through his that if they hurt her by not accepting this, he would destroy them.

Varys looked between their ragtag team of rebels, he placed a hand on a dwarf in a warrior's arms. The dwarf jumped briefly before nodding silently. The woman holding him shifted uncomfortably and looked at a small human next to her who looked like he was about to jump out of his very skin.

"Lady Sansa… We're with you."

The hound continued to glare at Petyr who continued grinning at him, daring him to say a thing. They both watched in their peripherals as Sansa's shoulders dropped in relief.

Clegane stepped towards Sansa, grabbing her hand before Petyr could protest. "Sansa, this is what you want? He is not forcing you?" He sent a glare above her head that the King returned with fever for even suggesting that.

He watched as his Queen's hand lifted to the scarred face, caressing it gently as the Hound looked at her in shock.

"Sandor, I promise you this is me. For once this is my decision." That seemed to be enough for the brute for now, he backed off still glaring at Petyr.

Sansa stirred Petyr out of his glaring match by placing her hand over his. She squeezed it tight for a second before smiling up at him. He almost didn't want to let her hand go but she moved herself away from him to address her friends again.

" Will you guys help me rule this Kingdom? The Labyrinth had accepted me but I need you all to."

The dwarf in the warrior's arms grinned wide. "Lady Sansa, I would love to help you rule." Varys nodded slightly beside him but seemed a little wary of it all. Given their last encounter, Petyr didn't blame him. He'd be wary of himself .

"Varys, I'm in charge." That shocked the spider.

"My Lady?"

"The Labyrinth wants me in charge. Not him. He's /my/ King. I'm not /his/ Queen."

That brought a small smile and a titter of laughter from the creature. " Of course I will help you then. Anything to win one over on Petyr."

"Sandor?"

"Little bird."

"I need you too." Petyr clenched his fist hearing her say those words to someone else.

He let out a gruff laugh, "Little bird, I'm just a dog. You don't need me."

" I think that's for me to decide, Sandor. You're not a dog. Not to me. You're my friend. And I need you."

He could see the Hound was won over. He was amazed at how well his Queen could work words around people. She was perfect , he thought as looked at her.

She was smiling again, looking at him again.

" You'll help too?"

What a naive child to think he'd do anything else. She already won every bit of him.

"As you wish."


	21. Ending 2: The one True Ruler

She watched him as his world fell around him. Watched as his Labyrinth collapsed around him refusing to offer him any protection. Watched as everything he hurt her and her brother for fell apart.

She watched as The Labyrinth fixed itself, filling it's cracks seamlessly. Repairing all the damage two centuries of neglect after civil war will bring. She watched as the Labyrinth purred with new life, restored to it's former glory.

She watched as he fell in agony, stripped of all power he fought and killed for, plotted and schemed for. She watched as the power flew through the air, arching towards the ceiling before crashing down towards her.

She felt the surge of energy, the new life the Labyrinth was offering her in repayment for doing the same for her. She felt her senses expand, filling every inch of the Labyrinth. She could feel every creature and soul that lived within her Labyrinth.

Her Labyrinth.

She dimly realized her eyes were closed, with what felt like an enormous effort she opened them the blinding light of the room filling her senses.

Petyr was on his knees, staring at her with wide eyes. They were filled with fear, the green shining brighter than before in those storm grey eyes. She moved, stumbled as she came to realize she was standing. Sansa placed a hand on her head, the power pounding against the skull as it tried to fit the entirety of the Labyrinth in her.

After a minute of silence, the pounding lessened to the point where she could function. Her eyes once again found Petyr who was still on his knees, wonder now beside the fear he displayed.

"You're perfect" , She knew he whispered it but it sounded like he screamed it right in her ears. She almost fell to her knees clutching her ears in pain before the deafening noise silenced as he waited for her. Belatedly she knew he went through the same exact thing when he gained control.

"Why does it hurt so much?" It came out more like a cry then a question as she looked at Petyr with pleading eyes for an explanation. She watched as he painfully stood up and tried to make his way to her.

She held her hand out, stopping him where he stood. " Explain… from there."

His mouth curled into that annoying smirk, his hands moving to clasp in front of him as he tried to regain some confidence and control over the situation, despite just being dethroned. " You are a queen, Sansa."

Her eyes grew wide, trying to take in everything at once. "What." It came out a little more than a whisper.

"A Queen, my sweetling." He took a calculated step towards her, his mouth twitching upwards when she didn't chastise him for it. She was too distracted with what the Labyrinth had done to her.

" I... " The teen paused, wide eyes pivoting towards her little brother. This wasn't what she wanted. " I wanted to go home." She finished lamely, knowing that even if she went home she wouldn't be the same.

" I know, Sansa." He took another step towards her, closer then he should be. She almost told him to back up again, but she needed to know why this happened. " I know more than anyone that that's what you wanted." She shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with how intensely he was staring at her. " But that's not what she wanted."

" That … That doesn't explain why it feels like someone is shoving themselves into my head!"

Petyr sighed, almost rolling his eyes at her before he stopped himself. " Because she is. The Labyrinth and all her consciousness is now a part of you."

"Why?"

" Because with Cat's beauty and my mind, she thinks you will be unstoppable."

She was silent for a moment, shakily making her way to her baby brother, watching as his eyes lit up at the sight of her. Tenderly, she smiled back at him, one finger playing with his closing and opening hand. " I don't have your mind." She finally stated, still smiling at Rickon.

" But you do, sweetling. You are brilliant beyond compare."

Sansa looked up at him, her eyes cold. "And that is why I don't have your mind."

She watched as his ever present smirk faltered. What did he think he was going to accomplish, flattering her so much. Did he think she'd forgive him for absolutely everything he put her and her brother through?

" Careful Sansa, I have-"

" Yes, yes, You have been kind up until now. But you haven't! Yes you saved me, but you saved me from a demise you orchestrated! Yes you rewrote time, but did I ask you to? No! I asked for my brother! That's all I've asked you for!" She stood up, letting go of her brother's tiny hand. " I didn't know you existed till a few hours ago, how was I to know you would take Rickon? And when I tried to fix my mistake?! You threw it in my face that i was being selfish! Selfish for wishing someone I thought was fictional would take a screaming baby away! " She took a step towards him, enjoying it a little too much when he stumbled backwards for a second. " Do you think I'm called selfish for asking Dumbledore to take him away?" She questioned with venom dripping from her voice.

With a sigh, she rubbed the bridge of her nose and moved back to her brother. Picking him up, she smiled again before talking to the ex-king again. " Not that I'm not thankful. I have grown more in these last hours then I could have wished anywhere else. I learned more than I should… " She trailed off, cooing briefly at Rickon than looking at Petyr. He held a curious glint in his eyes she wished he didn't have.

" And what have you learned?"

" I learned the dark isn't something to be afraid of. The light holds more dangers. I learned that hounds are loyal and spiders give the best advice. I learned that handsome faces usually hold ugly souls. And I learned…"

"Yes?"

" I learned I loved you." Her blue eyes held his, refusing to let him go. She watched as he took in a deep breath, letting it go as soon as he took it in. She tried to ignore the lion's scream she heard ricocheting through her head. Seemed the Labyrinth didn't want her forgetting either, but for a different reason.

" But I also learned you are dangerous. Far more dangerous than one creature should be. No more Kings, Petyr." His eyes grew wide for a second, understanding her veiled words.

"As you wish, Sweetling."

They felt it, the world falling apart before fixing itself.

Varys shared a look with Sandor, unsure what it meant. It should not have fixed itself. She should have fallen apart and stayed that way till a new ruler came about. They should be swimming through a dark fog unsure which way was up or down.

Instead they were still together, all of them standing aimlessly waiting for...something.

Brienne shifted Tyrion, the small goblin grumbling about being moved before he cut himself short, a small gasp escaping him.

The spider turned to him, eyebrow raised at Brienne who shrugged. Looking down at him they both noticed tears forming at the corner of his eyes, a wide smile in his face.

" She did it.' He whispered, eyes flickering all over the room. His smile grew wider, a laugh bubbling from within his small frame. " She did it!" He yelled, startling his warrior chaperone. He continued laughing maniacally, even causing Bronn to question his sanity.

"Tyrion…" Varys started slowly not wanting to set off the goblin.

"My eyes, Varys!' He shouted, still laughing. His head whipped to the spider, eyes shining with joy. Within seconds his friend finally got it, understanding why the small goblin was crying with mirth.

Varys looked down on his own hand, toying with his fingers before a smile graced his own face, a tiny huff of laughter escaping him. " My gods, she did it."

"Sansa!"

Her head slowly moved up, catching her friends burst into the very room she sat. Mutely she watched them fill in, Sandor at the lead with a bright toothy grin on his scarred face.

"Hello" It was an emotionless greeting, the events of the night weighing on her at last. She wanted to hug each of them, even Podrick who still looked like he thought everything in the room would hurt him. But she felt if she moved she might actually collapse.

"Little bird, how the hell did you manage?" The hound questioned with the grin still on his face, taking a step towards the girl. Her eyes flickered from her first friend to Varys and Tyrion, who now moved under his own will power. She gave a tired smile knowing they were finally as they wished.

"With her." Sansa patted the wall nearby affectionately despite being forced into this position. " She didn't let me go, instead she let him go."

"Where is he, Lady Sansa."

Her eyes moved to the warrior, her one hand placed on the sword at her hip. Sansa couldn't tell whether or not she meant Rickon or Petyr. Maybe both.

" Gone." She answered shortly, answering working for both.

"Close, sweetling. I was gone." Sighing the queen looked over her shoulder, glaring at the small bird on the top of her chair. He could've kept quiet. It would have worked better for the both of them till she had the energy to explain.

" Petyr, shut up."

"As you wish." he answered, causing Sansa to roll her eyes again before she turned her back on the bird once again to look at her friends.

Sandor stood wide eyed, eyes glued on the silver and green bird above her head. Varys was shaking his head in what she took as disappointment. Brienne was gripping her sword harder, knuckles now as white as Podrick's face. Tyrion was grinning wider than what she thought possible Bronn, well it was Bronn, she wasn't entirely sure he cared about the going on's in the room.

"What?" She snapped at them, hurt at their hurt. It was the Labyrinth's idea, not her's. The Labyrinth told her about what he did to Jamie and Cersei, she only did the same as per her request.

"Lady Sansa, a bird?"

" A mockingbird."

"Fitting." Sandor commented with a grin, eyes still glued on the once King.

"Thank you," Sansa smiled at Sandor, appreciative that someone thought it just. Petyr was lucky he was even alive, though that might be why the rest were angry. All except Tyrion.

"So what are you now?" It was Tyrion, his eyes meeting Sansa's with a glint of joy.

"A Queen."

"Damn straight." Sandor again. God it was seconds since they last saw each other but she had missed his wit more than anything. She smiled at him again, wider and more sincere then before.

"Queen Sansa, then?" The spider asked,one eyebrow raised, the previous disappointment gone from his face.

No, not for them. Never for them. " Just Sansa, Varys. Please."

He smiled back at her a sad smile which refused to met his eyes. She was used to such smiles around Petyr, which made it hurt all the more coming from him.

Shakily she stood, ignoring the fluttering of the bird above her. She felt like her legs were made of lead, her entire body resisting movement till she was standing up fully once again.

"I control the Labyrinth now. Or she controls me, I'm not sure how it works… but I don't think I could do either without you guys. Please, I need you all to help me rule." She realized she was pleading with them, but she was hurting in more ways than one. She needed them like the Labyrinth needed her.

Varys was the first to speak ,"La- Sansa, I am with you."

Tyrion next to him nodded enthusiastically, grinning as he looked at Petyr. " Anything to have one over on Petyr."

"Sandor?"

He was quiet, looking curiously from Sansa to the silver bird. She couldn't read his face, fear gripping her like a vice. What if he said no? What if he left her? She couldn't think of her first friend leaving her for taking the spot of both their tormentor.

Suddenly his face broke out into the same grin he walked in with, breaking her fear apart. "Fuck the King."

She ignored the shocked "rude!" from the bird above her, smiling back at her friend. She had her friends and their love and that's all she needed.


End file.
